The panel is required to report their findings to Congress every 30 days, counting from the first asset purchase made under the program.

It is an incredibly close call as to whether the Bank will re-start asset purchases in November, or wait a little longer.

If the original asset purchase had not been made, its cash cost would have been invested and earning returns in that same way.

The asset purchase was completed in March 2010.

More quantitative easing can be expected during 2012, with some City economists believing asset purchases will eventually total £500bn.

Included in the asset purchase were enough components to produce several more complete Series 1s.

The size of asset purchases is bigger than most economists were expecting and many had predicted the Bank would wait until next month to act.

However, it is still open to debate whether the asset purchases to date actually had any lasting impact on economic growth in and of themselves.

The Browns' sale, by comparison, was an asset purchase.

- more than two-thirds don't believe he will be unveiling another round of asset purchases today, even though the markets might want it.