For those of you that like to follow current data and statistics here are a few hot of the press from Fidelity relative to UK production and output:

June industrial production was down 0.5 percent and up 1.3 percent on the year. Manufacturing however was up 0.3 percent and 4.1 percent on the year. The sector as whole was held back by earlier than usual oil and gas rig maintenance closures which saw output in this area sink 6 percent on the month. The decline here was compounded by a 5.7 percent drop in the equally erratic mining and quarrying sub-sector. Within manufacturing the best performers on the month were chemicals (2.0 percent), metals (2.1 percent) and food (1.6 percent). Advances here were partially offset by declines in engineering (1.3 percent) and textiles (0.8 percent).

July input prices declined 1.0 percent and were up 10.8 percent on the year while output prices edged up 0.1 percent on the month and were 5.0 percent higher on the year. Factory gate prices were supported by a 0.7 percent monthly jump in food costs that alone added 0.1 percentage points to the headline index. Other smaller positive impulses were to be found in textiles & clothing, paper, metals & electrical and optical goods (all up 0.3 percent). The largest negative impact came from petroleum products (down 1.0 percent) which essentially offset the positive effects of higher food costs. Core output prices edged up 0.2 percent on the month and were up 4.7 percent on the year. Input prices, down 1 percent, were dragged lower on the month by sharp declines in home food materials (4.0 percent), crude oil (2.3 percent) and imported parts & equipment (0.5 percent). The only increase in prices of note was in fuel (1.9 percent