Outlook and appraisal [September 1990]

Previous Commentaries have stated that Scottish industrial output has probably been outperforming that of the UK throughout 1990. The index of production and construction for the first three months of the year underlines this to a remarkable degree, recording a rise of 4.6% in a single quarter and overtaking the UK index for the first time for many years. This single quarter's performance is even more marked within the manufacturing sub-section of the index, which recorded a 5.6% rise in the three months to March. This now ascribes to Scottish manufacturing an annual rise of 6.6%, more than double that of the UK as a whole (3.0%)