The former Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested that Britain can draw valuable lessons from the Bible's candid approach to historical issues such as slavery.

Last year, the Church of England committed to a £100m fund to “address past wrongs of slavery”.

But the oversight group responsible for recommending how the fund will work has this week said it must be increased to £1bn to achieve its aims in good time.

According to Rowan Williams, entrenched "violently self-justifying national narratives" worldwide hinder a truthful reckoning with the less savoury aspects of respective countries' pasts.

Lord Williams, known for his theological expertise and authorship, has a history of addressing historical slavery issues.

In 2006, during his tenure as Archbishop, he urged the Church to acknowledge its involvement in transatlantic slavery, leading to a formal apology by the General Synod, the Church's legislative body.