Using high levels of credit to by overpriced goods and services, the credit crunch and the recession are the price to pay for "rip off Britain".
The government had an interest in the high prices as they got higher VAT receipts from the higher prices and corporation tax from the higher profits.
So it is not surprising that the government are going to make baling out the imprudent easy, its a vote winner.
And what does this government want next year - votes, there may be an election.