09/05/2013

BoE Keeps Interest Rates At 0.5%

The Bank of England has said it is to keep interest rates at 0.5%, the BBC has said.

It added that its stimulus programme of quantitative easing (QE) also remains unchanged.

The announcement was widely predicted by analysts, with many believing changes in policy will not occur until after the new Bank governor, Mark Carney, arrives in July.

In its report, the bank said first quarter GDP figures showed a growth of 0.3%.

This supports recent statistics which suggest the UK economy is recovering.

Official figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that industrial output for the past year increased by 0.7%, with manufacturing input also rising by 1.1%.

This is further supported by recent sector surveys which demonstrated that conditions improved in the service, manufacturing and construction sectors last month.

(JP/CD)

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