ONS reports record increase in Consumer Price Index for a November to December period, with upward pressures from travel and fuel costs, while furniture and furnishings sector sees smaller price increase.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1% between November and December, compared with an increase of 0.6% in 2009. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the 1% one-month change was a record increase for a November to December period.

Meanwhile, CPI annual inflation reached 3.7% in December, up from 3.3% in November.

The most significant upward contributions to the increase was transport, which rose 3.6%, including fuels and lubricants and housing and household services, where prices rose 1.4%, impacted by the price of gas and liquid fuels.

The largest downward pressure came from furniture and furnishings, where overall prices rose by 0.6% between November and December, compared with an increase of 4.2% last year. The smaller rise this year, said the ONS, is mainly due to prices increasing by far less than usual in the lead up to the January sales period for most types of furniture.