We're now trying to find out more about the "credit easing" announcement in the speech, which took us by surprise in the press room.

That's what the slightly cryptic announcement about "credit easing" in Osborne's speech meant.

Osborne didn't say how much credit easing he wanted.

I hope credit easing will be something new and something big.

Yes, credit easing will certainly help provide banks with the ability to lend.

So the Government is launching a major programme of credit easing to help small business.

But today, only eight months later, he unveiled a policy he called "credit easing."

Bond traders and economists all but gave up hope for prompt credit easing by the Federal Reserve.

Its last credit easing came on Tuesday, when it nudged the overnight Federal funds rate down a quarter of a point, to 6.75 percent.

Complementary action by the government on credit easing for small and medium-sized businesses would also be worth investigating further.