Debt is the "dark side of Christmas", the archbishop warns

Writing in the Daily Mail, Dr Rowan Williams said the problem was "part of the dark side of Christmas".

The archbishop expressed concern that government policies on gambling and university top-up fees could contribute to the cycle of debt.

Dr Williams said: "The amazing boom in consumer credit of all kinds invites some of the most vulnerable in our society to plunge further into debt."

"The pressure is relentlessly on us to incur debt - not least among younger people in education, the majority of whom have no choice about it - so we need better guidelines to steer people towards the sort of good financial management that will safeguard the family's stability"

The amazing boom in consumer credit of all kinds invites some of the most vulnerable in our society to plunge further into debt Dr Rowan Williams Christmas sales 'up on last year'

'Nail in the coffin'

Dr Williams said failure to deal with these issues would "hammer one more nail into the coffin of the stable family in this country".

He expressed concern about plans in the Gambling Bill to allow Las Vegas-style casinos to be set up in the UK, which he said were unlikely to ease the problems of debt.

In November, the government released details of the draft bill which aims to deregulate the �40bn gambling industry.

At the time, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Tessa Jowell said the new law would keep the gambling industry free of crime and protect the young and vulnerable.

A single regulator, the Gambling Commission, will be created and given strong enforcement powers.

In his article, the head of the Church of England also offered some ideas to tackle the debt problem, including the setting up of credit unions to provide lending to vulnerable people, and confidential helplines to provide advice.

Terror laws

Earlier this week it was revealed the archbishop will use his Christmas Day sermon to express concern over the policy of detaining terror suspects without trial.

He will say the policy could make Muslims feel targeted.

Home Secretary David Blunkett rejected the criticism, saying those held were not being detained because they are Islamic.

He said: "I am not interested in the religious commitment or the religious background of the individuals concerned, any more than we were in terms of those who committed atrocities in the name of Irish nationalism were Catholics.

"I am interested in whether they are terrorists."