To What Extent Did Quantitative Easing Improve Economic Growth in the Uk?

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To what extent did Quantitative Easing improve economic growth in the UK? Central banks try to raise the amount of lending and activity in the economy indirectly, by cutting interest rates. Lower interest rates encourage people to spend, not save. But when interest rates can go no lower, a central bank's main option is to pump money into the economy directly. That process is known as Quantitative Easing (QE). The way the central bank does this is by buying assets, usually financial assets such as government and corporate bonds, and using money it has simply created out of thin air. The commercial banks or other financial businesses such as insurance companies selling those assets will then have extra money in their accounts, which then boosts the money supply into the economy. This essay will analytically dissect the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating Quantitative Easing into the UK economy and whether or not it will be an effective process in improving Economic growth. In March 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced that it would reduce the interest rate to 0.5%, which is the lowest it has ever been in the UK. The Committee also saw that the interest rate could not practically be reduced below that level, and in order to give a further monetary stimulus to the economy, it decided to undertake a series of asset purchases. Between March 2009 and January 2010, the MPC authorised the purchase of £200 billion worth of assets, mostly gilts (a UK government liability in sterling to fund its borrowing). The MPC voted to begin further purchases of £75 billion in October 2011 and, subsequently, at its meeting in February 2012 the Committee decided to purchase £50 billion to bring total asset purchases to £325 billion. Figure 1 above breaks down the QE process. As the Bank of England purchase assets, confidence increases as to does the money
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