Bank of England

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is, despite its name, the central bank of the whole of the United Kingdom and is the model on which most modern, large central banks have been based. It was established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and to this day it still acts as the banker for the UK Government. The Bank was privately owned and operated from its foundation in 1694 until it was nationalized in 1946. In 1997 it became an independent public organisation, wholly-owned by Government, with independence in setting monetary policy. The Bank has a monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales, although not in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee has devolved responsibility for managing the monetary policy of the country. The Treasury has reserve powers to give orders to the committee "if they are required in the public interest and by extreme economic circumstances" but such orders must be endorsed by parliament within 28 days. The Bank's headquarters has been located in London's main financial district, the City of London, on Threadneedle Street, since 1734.... Mehr