The Confederation of British Industry has said that there has been a rise in the U. K. index of factory orders for the first time in three months. This rise however is as a result of the strengthening of the export demand.

A survey had been carried out involving 443 manufacturers which made it clear that the gauge had climbed to minus 15 from minus 28 in October. An index of export orders rose to minus 7 from minus 21.

As the nation has been bracing for the deepest public spending cuts since World War II, the officials are therefore counting on exports to help drive the economic recovery.

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said that there were chances that the expansion would slow down a little as the U. K. had posted its strongest two consecutive quarters of growth in a decade.

CBI Chief Economic Adviser Ian McCafferty said in a statement “Demand is now back in line with that over the summer months, suggesting that particularly weak order book readings last month may have been a one-off”.

While a gauge of expected output for the next three months is said to have fallen to 4 from 18, a measure of finished stocks is said to have slipped to 6 in November from 8 in October.