Clash over $700bn bank bail-out

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has clashed with members of Congress over the $700bn US financial bail-out plan.

Mr Paulson told a Congressional committee that injecting cash into banks was the most effective way to stabilise the financial system.

However critics on the committee said that more of the money should be used to help struggling homeowners avoid losing their homes.

Mr Paulson said the bail-out would not be "a panacea" to cure economic woes.

"It will take a while to get lending going and repair our financial system, which is essential to an economic recovery," Mr Paulson said.

Mr Paulson and Federal Reserve chairman Mr Bernanke were giving evidence to the House financial services committee about the Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP) scheme.

The scheme was approved by Congress last month to shore up the US banking system and prevent financial collapse.

Earlier this month, the White House abandoned the original strategy behind the rescue.

Instead of buying up the banks' toxic mortgage debts, as first proposed under the deal, the bail-out fund is being used to buy shares in banks to help boost their balance sheets.

'Financial stabilisation'

Mr Paulson told the committee it was vital the administration be nimble in assessing changing conditions and adapting the bail-out strategy accordingly.

"If we have learned anything throughout this year, we have learned that this financial crisis is unpredictable and difficult to counteract," Mr Paulson said.

About $290bn of the first $350bn authorised under the programme already has been used or committed for use, and Mr Paulson said he wanted to reserve the balance of it for the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office on 20 January.