BANK of England policymakers yesterday decided against unleashing further emergency support for the recovery despite mixed signs over the health of the economy.

The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) maintained interest rates at record lows of 0.5% and held its quantitative easing (QE) stock at £375bn as it continues to work through £50bn of asset purchases announced in July.

The no-change decision will increase focus on next month’s meeting, at which most economists expect the Bank to pump more cash into the system through its QE programme.

Anna Leach, CBI head of economic analysis, said: “Looking ahead to November’s meeting, we think that the committee is likely to favour further asset purchases. While there have been a few positive signs in recent data, underlying conditions remain relatively flat.

“Meanwhile, uncertainty around the international backdrop is likely to build further through the autumn, keeping confidence in check.”

This month’s interest rate meeting comes after a run of disappointing purchasing manager surveys in manufacturing, construction and services, suggesting a once-expected rebound to growth in the third quarter is far from guaranteed.

Manufacturing output shrank at a faster pace in September than the previous month, construction output also declined and the services industry saw its rate of growth slow down.

But Bank governor Sir Mervyn King insisted just last week that there were “a few signs” of recovery.