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Six sub-sectors decreased, six sub-sectors increased and one remained unchanged in the latest quarter.

There was one significant decrease in output in the quarter within the basic metals and metal products industries, where output decreased by 1.6 per cent.

There was also a significant increase within the transport equipment industries, where output increased by 2.2 per cent during the quarter.

Overall production output increased by 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2007. There were increases in output of 0.3 per cent in the mining and quarrying sector and 1.7 per cent in the energy supply sector.

Electricity supply increased by 3.7 per cent during the fourth quarter, owing to cooler average temperatures in this quarter than in the same quarter of 2006.

Between November and December, manufacturing output decreased by 0.2 per cent.

The fall in December was widespread, with output decreasing in ten of the 13 sub-sectors and increasing in only three sub-sectors. There were no significant decreases on the month.

The only significant increase was in the electrical and optical equipment industries, where output rose by 1.6 per cent during the month, following a fall in the previous month.

The overall Index of Production decreased by 0.1 per cent between November and December. Mining and quarrying output increased by 0.2 per cent and energy supply output increased by 0.6 per cent.

Increases in electricity supply of 0.6 per cent and gas supply of 1.9 per cent were partly offset by a fall of 1.0 per cent in water supply.

Average temperatures in December 2007 were cooler than the long-term average, and December was also the coldest month of 2007.

For 2007 as a whole, production industries' output was 0.4 per cent higher than in 2006.

Within this, manufacturing output increased by 0.6 per cent in 2007 and electricity, gas and water supply output increased by 0.4 per cent, but mining and quarrying output fell by 1.3 per cent.

Related links

• Office for National Statistics