LONDON, Feb 4 - Halifax, part of British bank HBOS Plc , said on Wednesday house prices rose 2.2 percent in January, to be 16 percent higher year-on-year and giving the Bank of England further reason to raise interest rates. The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee begins its monthly two-day meeting later and is widely expected to raise its repo rate, Britain's key short-term interest rate, on Thursday for the second time in three months. Last week, rival mortgage lender Nationwide Building Society said prices rose 0.7 percent in January for 14.3 percent annual growth.||

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