The UK economy picked up pace in the second quarter of this year following a robust performance from industrial production and the services sector.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6 per cent in its initial estimate for the second quarter of 2016, up from 0.4 per cent in the first quarter.
Industrial production
The upward impact on growth was driven by a strong performance from industrial production, which grew 2.1 per cent compared with a fall of 0.2 per cent in the quarter before and matched figures last seen in the third quarter of 1999.
Britain’s dominant services sector grew 0.5 per cent over the period, but this was offset by falls in construction and agriculture, which fell 0.4 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.
Services index
It comes as the index for the services sector, which accounts for more than 78 per cent of the UK economy, showed that output slipped by 0.1 per cent between April and May, down from a 0.6 per cent rise the month before.
The rise in GDP for the second quarter came in above economists expectations of 0.5 per cent, with many predicting the economy would maintain momentum in the run-up to Britain’s referendum on the European Union thanks to a “resilient” performance from manufacturing and strong retail figures.
Output for the manufacturing industry came in at a higher-than-expected fall of 0.5 per cent in May, dropping down from April's rise of 2.4 per cent, but remaining ahead of a predicted slide of 1.1 per cent. – (PA)
