The business activity index for Scotland, a seasonally adjusted measure of the month-on-month change in the combined output of the manufacturing and services sectors – rose from 47.4 in April to 50.5 in May on a seasonally adjusted basis to indicate a renewed rise in business activity. This marked the first increase in output on this measure for six months.

With May’s reading of 50.5 only slightly above the no-change mark of 50, Royal Bank of Scotland observed the rate of expansion last month was “marginal and similar to that seen across the UK as a whole”.

It added: “The growth in activity was primarily driven by a stronger service sector performance, where a fresh increase in activity was supported by a renewed upturn in new business. This helped to offset a further downturn in manufac

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