The total volume of construction output in the year to the third quarter of 2007 rose by three per cent compared to the previous year.

According to Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (National) third quarter results overall new work rose over the same period, with increases in all sectors except public non-housing and infrastructure output.

Repair and maintenance work was unchanged with an increase in private non housing sector offsetting decreases in the remaining sectors. Output in the third quarter of 2007 rose by one per cent compared to the second quarter of 2007 in volume terms and by two per cent in current prices.

The total volume of new work in the year to the third quarter of 2007 was five per cent higher compared with the previous year and rose by two per cent in the third quarter when compared with the previous quarter. The total volume of repair and maintenance work was unchanged year on year but was one per cent lower in the third quarter of 2007 compared to the previous quarter.

New private housing work in the year was one per cent higher compared with the previous year and was unchanged compared with the previous quarter.


New work in the public housing sector was 16 per cent higher (on a small base figure) compared with the previous year but the latest quarter was eight per cent lower than the previous quarter. New infrastructure outpuy was five per cent lower compared with the previous year but the third quarter of 2007 rose by eight per cent compared with the previous quarter.

New construction work in the private industrial sector was five per cent higher compared with the previous year, but fell by five per cent in the latest quarter compared with the previous quarter. New private commercial output in the year to the third quarter of 2007 was 14 per cent higher compared to the previous year and was five per cent higher in the third quarter of 2007 compared to the previous quarter. New work in the public non-housing sector (excluding infrastructure) fell by five per cent compared to the previous year but rose by five per cent compared with the previous quarter.

Housing repair and maintenance work (including improvement work) in the public sector fell by two per cent in the year to the third quarter of 2007 compared with the previous year and by three per cent in the most recent quarter compared with previous quarter. Housing repair and maintenance work in the private sector in the year to the third quarter of 2007 was one per cent lower compared with the previous year and fell by six per cent in the third quarter of 2007 compared to the previous quarter.

Repair and maintenance work in the public non-housing sector in the year to the third quarter of 13 per cent lower compared with the previous year, but was one per cent higher in the most recent quarter compared with the previous quarter. Repair and maintenance work in the private non-housing sector in the year to the third quarter of 2007 was 10 per cent higher compared with the previous year and rose by four per cent in the most recent quarter compared with the previous quarter.

(GK)