Osborne welcomes Bank of England message on interest rates

LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister George Osborne welcomed on Monday that Bank of England Governor Mark Carney had signalled to the public that interest rates would have to rise as the economy recovers.

Carney said just over a week ago that rates might rise sooner than markets had expected, and many in the financial markets now think a hike could come before the end of the year.

Osborne said in a BBC television interview that he welcomed the central bank's efforts to communicate its policy stance.

"I think it is a good thing we actually have a bank governor who goes out and does a lot of television and radio and the like, and seeks to communicate clearly to people about the future path of interest rates," Osborne said.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by John Stonestreet)