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mpc: 15 with the balance rising to +10, from +7 in 2002 Q2. This survey balance had also remained close to its long-run average. The CBI survey had not pointed to a significant change in capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector, while the BCC survey had shown a slight decline. A29 Business confidence in the service sector had eased, according to the BCC survey, although the survey balance had remained close to its long-run average. According to the CBI Industrial Trends Survey, business confidence among manufacturers had fallen sharply in 2002 Q3, with the survey's optimism balance falling to ­19, from +4 in the 2002 Q2 survey. This decline in confidence had not been mirrored in the equivalent BCC survey, which had actually shown a slight rise in business confidence among manufacturers. A30 The BCC survey had pointed to a slowdown in demand growth in the service sector. The balance for domestic orders had fallen to +12 in Q3, from +19 in Q2. The CIPS services survey had shown continued growth in business activity in October. A31 The CBI manufacturing survey had shown a decline in the total new orders balance in Q3, which had eased to ­16, from ­11 in Q2. But manufacturers' expectations about output growth had remained positive, with a balance of +8. The BCC domestic orders balance had eased only slightly in Q3, to +8 from +9 in Q2. The CIPS manufacturing survey for October had pointed to a rise in new orders, although the index had fallen from 52.1 to 51.3. Similarly, the output balance had shown growth in manufacturing output in October, despite falling back slightly to 53.1, from 53.7 in September. A32 The Bank's Agents had conducted a survey of around 175 firms, covering retail goods, motor vehicles, financial services, and consumer and leisure services. Respondents had been asked how they expected the next six months to compare with the previous six, in terms of growth in value and volume of sales to individuals, and prices charged to customers. Companies covered by the survey had a total turnover of £54bn. A33 Weighted by turnover, the majority of respondents in each of the main sectors had expected that growth in the value of sales to individuals over the next six months would be the same or slightly lower than in the previous six months. Retail respondents had cited greater economic uncertainty as the reason for expecting slower growth. There had also been some examples where respondents had expected slower growth in housing market activity to affect sales of furniture. Among consumer and