Meanwhile, the Bank of England is holding rates steady. BoE policy makers on Thursday voted seven-to-two to keep rates steady at 0.5 percent. The two policy makers who voted for a rate rise said it was time for an increase because the economy has been growing well since the 2008 financial crisis. The BoE said that ongoing tightening policies would be appropriate to curb rising inflation, but any future increase would be gradual. The bank raised rates for the first time in over a decade last November and growth has proven better than expected ever since.