BoE holds quant easing at £200bn

The Bank of England has frozen its quantitative easing programme and kept interest rates on hold.

Analysts widely expected the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would keep quantitative easing at £200bn after the economy grew slightly in the final quarter of 2009. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed the economy grew by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of last year. Some economists say quantitative easing has done all it can to help the economy, and want the MPC to turn its focus to controlling inflation. Interest rates will remain at 0.5% for the 11th consecutive month. However, rates are widely expected to rise later this year, after inflation hit almost 3% last...