The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee is urging the Bank of England to explain in more detail why it believes rising inflation will be a short-term phenomenon, and why continuing with its quantitative easing programme until the end of 2021 is the right course of action.
Peers are worrried that it became apparent that the Bank of England is widely perceived to be using QE to finance the Government’s deficit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bank’s bond purchases were aligned closely with the speed of issuance by HM Treasury. If perceptions continue to grow that the Bank is using QE mainly to finance the Government’s spending priorities, it could lose credibility, and this would harm its ability to control inflation and maintain financial stability.
The Bank, they say, does not publish sufficient information on QE for the public and Parliament to hold it to account for its decisions. It must be more open about its “assessment processes” for calculating how much QE is necessary to meet its objectives and break down the effect of QE at each stage of the programme in order to show whether it achieved the Bank’s stated targets.
The Chancellor refused the Committee’s requests for him to publish the contractual document (the ‘Deed of Indemnity’) between HM Treasury and the Bank of England which sets out the taxpayer liability to cover any financial losses suffered by the Bank as a result of QE. It remains hidden from public scrutiny. The Committee calls again for its immediate publication.
The Bank has not set out a plan to reverse QE. First it said it would raise interest rates before reversing QE, but now it is considering reversing QE before raising interest rates. The Bank must set out its rationale for changing its policy and set out a clear exit strategy, particularly considering the growing debate on inflation.
QE has been effective at stabilising financial markets during periods of economic turmoil. However, it has had only limited impact on growth and aggregate demand over the last decade. Furthermore, there is little evidence to show that QE increased bank lending, investment, or that it had increased consumer spending by asset holders.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, said:
“The Bank of England has become addicted to quantitative easing. It appears to be its answer to all the country’s economic problems and by the end of 2021, the Bank will own an eye-watering £875bn of Government bonds and £20bn in corporate bonds.
“The scale and persistence of QE—now equivalent to 40% of GDP—requires significant scrutiny and accountability. However, the Bank has faced few questions until now. Going forward, the Bank must be more transparent, justify the use of QE and show its working. The Bank needs to explain how it will curb inflation if it is more than just short term. It also needs to do more to mitigate widening wealth inequalities that have resulted from rising asset prices caused by QE.
“We took evidence from a wide range of prominent monetary policy experts and practitioners from around the world. These included former central bankers from the Fed, the ECB and the Bank of Japan. We found that central banks all over the world face comparable risks.
“QE is a serious danger to the long-term health of the public finances. A clear plan on how QE will be unwound is necessary, and this plan must be made public.”
