Business volumes in the services sector continued to improve in the three months to November, but at a slower pace than seen in the previous quarter, according to the CBI’s latest sector survey.

Consumer services, which includes hotels, bars, restaurants, travel and leisure firms, saw steady and strong growth, in line with recent quarters.

But while business & professional services continued to expand, they did so at the slowest pace since 2013.

Optimism about the business situation has improved over the last three months, and business volumes and profitability are expected to continue expanding at an above-average pace during the three months to February.