UK output grows at fastest pace in six years, says CBI The survey of 630 companies showed a greater number of businesses reported growth in output volumes in the three months to January than a decline, resulting in a positive balance of 30pc. This is the highest level since September 2007, and much higher than the long-run average of 2pc. Optimism about future growth also remained high, with a positive balance of 28pc of companies expecting "robust growth" over the next three months. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected on Tuesday to reveal the economy grew by 0.7pc in the final three months of 2013 following growth of 0.8pc in the third quarter. This would equate to an overall expansion of 1.9pc for 2013, much stronger than the 0.3pc expansion in 2012. However, output would remain 1.3pc below its pre-recession peak. Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded its forecast for UK growth by the biggest margin of any economy. Many borrowers would struggle to afford their monthly payments if rates rose from their record low of 0.5pc, the report said, as it highlighted that mortgage multiples for first time buyers had risen from an average of around 2.3 times earnings in the 1990s to around 3.4 times today. "Without a sustained burst of earnings and rent inflation, rising interest rates may well trigger another protracted slump in the market at some point in the next three or four years," said Ed Stansfield, author of the report.