Bank of England governor Mark Carney said it would be “extremely foolish” for the Bank of England to cut interest rates to try to combat low inflation. He reiterated comments made in February that the drop in prices was temporary and largely caused by the sharp fall in oil prices.
The rate of UK Consumer Prices Index inflation fell to 0.3% in January, its lowest level since records began. Cheaper petrol and lower food prices, helped by a supermarket price war, cut the rate from 0.5% in December, Office for National Statistics figures show.
The UK inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell to 1.6% in March from 1.7% in February, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the third consecutive month inflation has been below the Bank of England's 2% target rate, and the lowest rate since October 2009.