Office for National Statistics said, production output rose by 0.2% in the three months to February 2019, compared with the three months to November 2018, due to rises from manufacturing, and mining and quarrying.

The three-monthly increase of 0.4% in manufacturing is due mainly to rises of 2.5% from pharmaceuticals and 1.1% from food, beverages and tobacco.

Production output rose by 0.6% between January 2019 and February 2019. Economists had expected a 0.1% increase. The manufacturing sector provided the largest upward contribution, rising by 0.9%, its second consecutive monthly rise.

In February 2019, the monthly increase in manufacturing output was due to rises in 11 of the 13 subsectors and follows a 1.1% rise in January 2019; the largest upward contribution came from basic metals, which rose by 1.6%.

In the three months to February 2019, production output decreased by 0.2% compared with the same three months to February 2018; driven by falls of 0.6% from manufacturing and 3.2% from electricity and gas.