BUSINESS confidence in Yorkshire is better than the national average.

That is the conclusion of the latest Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Commercial - an achievement for the county considering a general national slowdown of the UK economy.

Sandy Sanderson, area director for Lloyds TSB Commercial said: "The Yorkshire economy is incredibly diverse. While particular industries are not necessarily so buoyant, these results are encouraging."

She believes the source of Yorkshire's confidence lies in the increasingly high level of sales achieved in the region - up from 13 per cent in the last half of 1999.

Maximised sales volumes driven by falling prices means that profits are down on December's figures but more robust than many other areas in the UK.

The survey's confidence index, which charts expectations for sales, orders and profitability for the coming six months records a national average drop of four points to 24. Even London's has plummeted from 38 to 27. But Yorkshire's has climbed to 35.