Germany and France, who have both registered economic growth in the last quarter, are asking for bailout measures to be scaled back, saying they do not want to burden their economies with too much debt.

But Britain, still in the midst of a recession, is reported to be irritated with these proposals and has argued for caution.

Britain has urged Europe to set an example and do more to meet the target of $500 billion pledged to the IMF. Britain has agreed to lend up to $15 billion to poorer economies and is willing to provide up to $11 billion more as part of an EU package.

So far, none of the extra credit has been called in by the IMF, but The Times quoted 'government insiders' as saying the money will be needed before long to prop up struggling economies.

British finance minister Alistaire Darling said Thursday that the biggest risk to global economic recovery was complacency and that it was too soon to withdraw stimulus measures.

'My view is that the biggest single risk to recovery is that people think the job is done,' he said.