Investment by British businesses bounced back between April and June after a fall of 0.6% in the first quarter. The Guardian

Provisional data from the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed spending on assets such as new offices and equipment rose 0.8% to £35bn in the second quarter of 2007.

The annual growth rate, however, fell to 7.4% from 9.4% in the first quarter. Manufacturing spending declined 5.5%, reversing the gains seen in the previous two quarters. Construction spending was also down.