Britain's economy grew more slowly than previously thought in the second quarter but there were also some signs of improvement in household finances ahead of next month's annual budget. Economic output expanded by 0.5 per cent in the April-to-June period, the Office for National Statistics said on Monday. The reading was slightly weaker than a preliminary estimate for a 0.6 per cent growth in gross domestic product and was below economists' forecasts for another 0.6 per cent rise. "The UK's GDP grew by slightly less than originally estimated in the second quarter of this year, but overall the UK economic outlook has improved considerably since the start of the year," said Gora Suri, an economist at PwC.