Hank Paulson, US Treasury secretary, on Monday said he was “confident” an industry-wide plan to reduce foreclosures for at-risk subprime homeowners with steady incomes and “relatively clean payment histories” could soon be reached.

But in remarks to a housing forum, Mr Paulson failed to provide many fresh details about the plan or how he hoped to forge a workable agreement between a diverse group of mortgage lenders, servicers and investors whose interests are often at odds.