The Bank of England has cut official interest rates by half a percentage point to a new record low of 0.5%.
Thursday's announcement marked the sixth consecutive month the central bank has lowered rates - nearing a floor - and attention is turning to other methods to ease the economic crisis.
The bank has sought government approval to begin so-called quantitative easing - a technical term that describes the technique of expanding the supply of money in the economy.
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Britain fell into recession last year for the first time in nearly two decades and economists have warned that the downturn could be prolonged.
AP
