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Output decreased in six out of the 13 sub-sectors, six sub-sectors increased output and one sub-sector remained unchanged.

There were significant decreases in the latest three months within the basic metals and metal products industries, where output decreased by 1.6 per cent and within the electrical and optical equipment industries, where output decreased by 1.4 per cent. There were no significant increases in the latest three months.

Overall production output decreased by 0.1 per cent on a three-monthly basis. There was an increase in output of 1.3 per cent in the energy supply sector, while output in the mining and quarrying sector remained unchanged.

Within energy supply, electricity supply output increased by 2.6 per cent in the latest three months and water supply output increased by 1.8 per cent, but gas supply output decreased by 2.7 per cent.

The increase in electricity supply and the decrease in gas supply were both due to a switch from gas to coal as the input fuel for electricity generation.

Coal is currently a more cost efficient fuel than gas and using more coal has led to an increase in the value-added index for the electricity supply industry.

Within the mining and quarrying sector an increase in oil extraction output has been offset by decreases in both gas extraction and coal extraction output.

Between October and November manufacturing output decreased by 0.1 per cent. Eight of the 13 sub-sectors decreased in output, four sub-sectors increased output and one sub-sector remained unchanged on the month.

There was a significant decrease in the electrical and optical equipment industries, where output fell by 1.9 cent, but there was also a significant increase in the transport equipment industries, where output increased by 2.4 per cent in the latest month.

Total production output decreased by 0.1 per cent between October and November.

Mining and quarrying output decreased by 0.9 per cent and energy supply output increased by 1.4 per cent. Within the mining and quarrying sector there were decreases in both oil and gas extraction output.

Within the energy supply sector there were increases of 2.3 per cent in output for the electricity supply industry and 0.8 per cent in the water supply industry, but gas supply industry output decreased by 0.6 per cent.

Related links

• Office for National Statistics 
  
• Index of production - November 2007