LONDON - Wholesale prices rose in January for a second consecutive month despite the continuing slump in Britain's manufacturing sector, according to government figures released Monday. <br>
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The Office for National Statistics said the average wholesale price of goods produced in Britain was 0.1 percent higher in January than in December. The office revised the increase in December over November to 0.2 percent. <br>
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The gains come after a period of decline. The January figure was 0.5 percent lower than a year earlier, and producer prices in November were 1.4 percent lower than in November 2000, the statistics office said. <br>
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Increases in prices for food, metal and paper products fueled the rise, with a small increase also seen in the cost of electrical and optical goods. <br>
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The price paid by manufacturers for materials also rose in January, with the crude oil price rising 4.2 percent from December. <br>
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But crude oil prices remained 21.7 percent lower than a year earlier, and overall input prices were 6.3 percent lower than in January 2000, the statistics office said. <br>
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