September 07, 2007	Friday	Sha'aban 24, 1428

LONDON, Sept 6: Britain’s manufactured output fell in July from the previous month, with big falls in transport industries, official data showed on Thursday.

Manufactured production sank by 0.3 per cent in July from June, but rose by 0.8 per cent on a 12-month basis, the Office for National Statistics said.

Within the manufacturing sector, output in the transport equipment industry fell 2.6 per cent in July from June -- the weakest since Oct 2005. This sector includes shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing.

The data fell short of market expectations for a monthly gain of 0.2 per cent and an annual rise of 1.2 per cent. Manufactured output accounts for about 14.7 per cent of the British economy.

The ONS added that a wider measure of industrial production, which accounts for around 18.6 per cent of British gross domestic product, decreased by 0.1 per cent in July from June.—AFP