Information Classes
Section Two - Monetary Policy & Inflation
MONETARY POLICY
Current Monetary Policy Committee
Members (MPC) and Processes
Current members of the MPC (a
committee of the Bank constituted by the Bank of England Act 1998, with
responsibility for formulating monetary policy. Interest rate decisions are
made by the MPC). Information on the main MPC processes as published in the
latest Annual Report.
Available: Internet
Free of charge
Monetary Policy Committee Minutes
- Full minutes are available two weeks after the monthly meeting has taken place (June 1997 to date).
- Included in the "Inflation Report" until November 2000.
- Separate publication of quarterly minutes (since February 2001) .
Available: Internet, Hard Copy
Free of charge
Historical MPC Decisions
and Voting Spreadsheet
Voting decisions on changes to the
official Bank rate by the Monetary Policy Committee since 1997.
Available:
Internet
Free of Charge
"Bank
Rate Information" 
(152k)
Bank of England Official Bank Rate and selected retail banks' base rate information
available from the early 1970s.
Available: Internet
Free of charge
"Agents' Summary
of Business Conditions"
Latest monthly report compiled by the Bank's Agents
following discussions with businesses.
Available: Internet, Printed
publication (monthly from Jan 2005, previously published quarterly, copies for
the previous year available)
Free of charge
"Economic Models at the Bank of
England"
Report published in April 1999 containing details of
the economic modelling tools used to help the Monetary Policy Committee in its
work.
September 2000 update of changes incorporated in the Bank's main
macroeconomic model since publication of the 1999 book.
Available:
Internet, Printed publication
Hard copy of update free of charge, charge for hard copy of 1999 report. (Please contact
Publications Group 0207 601 4030)
"Bank of England Quarterly
Models Book"
Current publication which contains details of
a new macroeconomic model developed for use in preparing the Monetary Policy
Committee's quarterly economic projections.
Available: Internet,
Printed publication
Charge for hard copy (Please contact
Publications Group 0207 601 4030)
"The
Transmission Mechanism of Monetary Policy" 
(65k)
Report prepared by Bank staff in April 1999 under the guidance
of the Monetary Policy Committee in response to suggestions
by the Treasury Committee of the House of Commons and the House
of Lords Select Committee on the Monetary Policy Committee of
the Bank of England.
Available: Internet
Free of charge
INFLATION
"Inflation Report"
The Bank's quarterly "Inflation
Report" sets out the detailed economic analysis and inflation projections on
which the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee bases its interest rate decisions,
and presents an assessment of the prospects for UK inflation over the following
two years.
- Latest four copies available on the Internet.
- Latest projections (web page).
- Numerical Parameters of Inflation Report Probability Distributions (web page).
- Spreadsheets containing the data supporting the Inflation Report charts.
Available: Internet, Printed publication
Charge for hard
copy of Inflation Report. (Please contact
Publications Group 0207 601 4030)
"Low
Inflation and Business"
(478k)
Pamphlet which explains why economic well-being depends on maintaining
stable prices, and outlines the benefits of low inflation to
businesses and the wider community. Describes how the Bank undertakes
the task of setting interest rates to meet the Government's
inflation target.
Available: Internet, Printed pamphlet
Free of charge
The Bank of England/Times Interest Rate Challenge (Economic Competition for Schools)
- List of participating schools/colleges, venues and results including details of regional heats/area and national finals.
- Practical information about taking part in the competition and material which explains the factors that are relevant to the competition objective of setting interest rates to control inflation.
- Weekly data update of statistics and data series on the economy.
- Monthly datasheets.
Current competition information
available and previous year's National Finalists.
Available: Internet
Free of charge
