The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Director of Economics, Rain Newton-Smith, said on Thursday that a weak global growth and competitive pressures from abroad weigh on the U.K. manufacturing sector.

"Manufacturers are still feeling the hit from weaker global growth and competitive pressures from abroad. And while low oil prices are a boon for the economy as a whole, businesses in the North Sea industry are suffering," she said.

Newton-Smith noted, commenting on the latest U.K. GDP data, that "the UK economy ended 2015 in decent health".