Ratings agencies are bound to remain "somewhat uncertain" about the UK's fiscal position but the country is in no danger of a downgrade of its triple-A status, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said yesterday. With Britain's budget deficit expected to hit a record high above 12 percent this year, opposition politicians have raised the spectre of Britain losing its triple-A credit rating and facing a Greek-style debt crisis. Asked by parliament's Treasury Committee whether rating agencies should be concerned, King said: "I don't believe the rating agencies are concerned, in the sense that they are not re-rating the UK and I would be very surprised if they were to do so." He said that there were important differences between Britain and countries like Greece. For instance, Britain had its own currency and on average had longer maturity for its debt. But he refused to be drawn on a political debate, which he called overblown,over when fiscal consolidation should start, just pointing out that spending cuts cannot be made immediately and take time.