Inflation rose in UK

The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation in the UK rose to 4.4 percent from 4.2 percent in June, according to official figures released Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure was unchanged at 5 percent. Bank of England governor Mervyn King is writing another letter to the chancellor, Finance secretary, George Osborne to explain why CPI inflation remains well above the 2 percent target rate. The governor must write a letter every three months if CPI is more than one percentage point above the target. The Bank of England said last week that it remained confident that inflation would return to its target level in the next two years. Clothing and footwear increased by 3.1 percent on an annual rate - the highest annual surge since records began in 1997, the Office of National Statistics said. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 4.6 percent on an annual basis, the highest increase in two years. Food bills were 0.3 percent higher month on month and 6.2 percent higher compared with a year ago. The increase in the CPI rate of inflation will apply pressure on the Bank of England to increase interest rates in a bid to curb soaring inflation, experts said. However, the Bank is grappling with a fragile recovery in the UK, which saw its economy grow by a mediocre 0.2 percent between April and June.