British ice are tax Free Allowance to invest in uk listed companies. British isa tax Free Allowance. Moving on to the uk economy. The Office For Budget Responsibility predicts uk economy will grow by 0. 8 this year and 1. 9 next year. The uks Inflation Rate is also forecast to fall below 2 target this year. But the underlying debt, excluding Bank Of England debt, is forecast to be 91. 7 of gdp this year rising to 92. 8 next year. The government also kept a freeze on alcohol duty, which had been due to end in august, which will now continue until february 2025. There will be a new tax on vaping products to start in october 2026, and the existing tax on tobacco will increase. The chancellor says is in order to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking. 0n transport and energy, the government has frozen the fuel duty again and kept the 5p cut in fuel duty on petrol and diesel, due to end later this month for another year. A windfall tax on the profits of energy firms,
and us regulators were informed of and us regulators were informed of an international stately drive to manipulate interest rates in the 2008 financial crisis but they cover it up. this morning the times newspaper on the bbc have published quotes from a secretive interview with barclays treasurer who gave evidence. artificially push down benchmark interest rates. that evidence was withheld from parliament and from jurors in the criminal trials of traders for manipulating interest rates. regulators, though, say they have met their disclosure obligations. what is going on, economics correspondent andy verity led the investigation and told me about the significance of holding them at lowering those rates. when you hear about interest rates whether on your mortgage or your personal loan actually they are not based on those central bank interest rate that is business hacks obsess about. they are actually based on how much it cost banks to borrow cash and international money market
4.5%. risen by a quarter of a percent, that is from our economics editor, faisal islam, who has tweeted that. just getting that information in that, as expected, interest rates in the uk are now at 4.5%, up from 4.25%, a quarter rate rise. 0ur cost of living correspondent is watching these developments for us, kevin, news that will impact on so many people s lives for their mortgages and make life just that bit more difficult as they have seen those rate rises so many times, for the 13th time in a row? it many times, for the 13th time in a row? , ., . many times, for the 13th time in a row? ,., ,, many times, for the 13th time in a row? , ,,, row? it is not a surprise, but clearly the row? it is not a surprise, but clearly the impact row? it is not a surprise, but clearly the impact is - row? it is not a surprise, but clearly the impact is still - row? it is not a surprise, but| clearly the impact is still very real. it will make borrowing more expensive for many, many pe