LONDON (Reuters) – British industrial output rose a touch more than expected in December, ending its worst quarter since the start of 2009 with a glimmer of hope for a government desperate to avoid sliding back into recession.

The broad indicator of output, which includes energy production and mining, grew 1.1 percent compared to a revised 0.2 percent rise in November and economists’ forecasts for growth of 0.9 percent.

LONDON (Reuters) – British industrial output rose a touch more than expected in December, ending its worst quarter since the start of 2009 with a glimmer of hope for a government desperate to avoid sliding back into recession.

The broad indicator of output, which includes energy production and mining, grew 1.1 percent compared to a revised 0.2 percent rise in November and economists’ forecasts for growth of 0.9 percent.

LONDON (Reuters) – The government will borrow more rather than less this fiscal year and its multi-year austerity plan will lead to 1.2 million public sector job cuts, a leading policy institute said on Wednesday.

The forecasts, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said supported the case for the Bank of England to do more to boost the economy, are more pessimistic than those used by Chancellor George Osborne to set policy, with the IFS pencilling in an extra 270,000 job losses by 2018.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will borrow more rather than less this fiscal year and its multi-year austerity plan will lead to 1.2 million public sector job cuts, a leading policy institute said on Wednesday.

The forecasts, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said supported the case for the Bank of England to do more to boost the economy, are more pessimistic than those used by finance minister George Osborne to set policy, with the IFS penciling in an extra 270,000 job losses by 2018.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s dominant service sector unexpectedly returned to growth in January and optimism among firms jumped, reducing the chances of a triple-dip recession.

The Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index for services, published on Tuesday, rose to 51.5 from 48.9 in December when the sector shrank for the first time in two years.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s dominant service sector returned to growth in January and optimism among companies jumped, a survey showed on Tuesday, reducing the chance of the economy falling back into recession.

The Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services rose to 51.5 from 48.9 in December, when the sector shrank for the first time in two years.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s dominant service sector returned to growth in January and optimism among companies jumped, a survey showed on Tuesday, reducing the chance of the economy falling back into recession.

The Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index for services rose to 51.5 from 48.9 in December, when the sector shrank for the first time in two years.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s manufacturing sector again expanded modestly in January, raising hopes the economy can avoid a new recession, although activity grew less than a month before and was below expectations.

Factory output, however, grew at the fastest pace since September 2011, the survey published on Friday showed. Lower factory output was a key reason for a contraction in the last quarter of 2012 which left Britain’s economy within sight of its third recession in four years.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s manufacturing sector again expanded modestly in January, raising hopes the economy can avoid a new recession, although activity grew less than a month before and was below expectations.

Factory output, however, grew at the fastest pace since September 2011, the survey published on Friday showed. Lower factory output was a key reason for a contraction in the last quarter of 2012 which left Britain’s economy within sight of its third recession in four years.

LONDON (Reuters) – Home loan approvals in Britain rose last month to the highest since January 2012, a sign that a Bank of England scheme may be starting to boost the flow of credit and support a flagging economy.

Net mortgage lending also jumped sharply to its highest level since April, offering hope that the bank’s Funding for Lending Scheme – which went into operation in August – is starting to bear fruit.