But growth is up as inflation rises

Scottish economic growth has overtaken the UK with 0.5 per cent growth, new official figures show.

Scottish GDP grew by 0.5 per cent in real terms between April and June 2018, a marginal increase on the 0.4 per cent the previous quarter. The UK economy grew 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2018.

Across Scotland in this period output in the construction sector grew by 1.8 per cent, production by 0.6 per cent and the services sector by 0.4 per cent, while agriculture fell by 1.2 per cent.

Inflation grew more than expected last month, as high- er price tags for transport, theatre tickets and autumn clothing raised pressure on household finances. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the Consumer Prices Index rose to 2.7 per cent in August, compared to 2.5 per cent in July. Economists were expecting inflation to edge lower to 2.4 per cent.