The UK's economic growth is expected to have slowed over the last three months of 2010, economists have warned.
The UK's economy suffered a shock contraction in the last three months of 2010, figures have shown.
The GDP figures, due to be released at 0930 GMT, are expected to show growth of between 0.2% and 0.6% in the three months up to December.
The economy shrank by 0.5% in the October-to-December period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
There was 0.7% growth in the previous three months and 1.1% in the second quarter of 2010.
The severe weather hit activity in the quarter, but the ONS said even if the weather impact had been excluded, activity would have been "flattish".
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the bad weather at the end of last year was likely to depress the latest figures.
The contraction follows growth of 0.7% in the previous three months and 1.1% in the second quarter of 2010.
"There is a reasonable consensus that this is a pretty bad quarter for reasons that are primarily to do with climate," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The figures are set to raise concerns over prospects for the economy, with large public spending cuts expected to come in this year.
"[The weather] was very bad and has clearly had a significant effect on construction and other weather-dependent industries."
But Chancellor George Osborne said the government would not change its austerity programme.
But he added: "What is apparent is that there is quite strong growth beginning to happen in manufacturing and exports."
"These are obviously disappointing numbers, but the ONS has made it very clear that the fall in GDP was driven by the terrible weather in December," he said in a statement.
Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said there was considerable uncertainty over how much December's severe weather hit overall activity.
"There is no question of changing a fiscal plan that has established international credibility on the back of one very cold month. That would plunge Britain back into a financial crisis. We will not be blown off course by bad weather."
As a result, the range of forecasts is wide, from 0.2% to 0.6%.
The release is a first estimate for the quarter from the ONS and is subject to revision. The statistics body will publish two further updates at monthly intervals.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has projected that output grew 0.5% in the period under review, and the British Chambers of Commerce has forecast a figure of 0.4%.
The "consensus figure", drawn from a range of forecasters, is that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will announce a 0.4% increase in growth in the fourth quarter.
Debt figures
The Office for Budget Responsibility - set up by the government to make independent forecasts - says the economy will grow by 2.1% this year, slightly more than in 2010.
The ONS will also release public borrowing figures for December, which are expected to reveal the nation fell further into debt by the sum of £21bn, meaning a total for the financial year to date of about £125bn of debt.
On Monday, Sir Richard Lambert, the outgoing boss of the CBI business body, accused the coalition of failing to come up with policies that support economic growth.
"It's failed to articulate in big picture terms its vision of what the UK economy might become under its stewardship," he said in a speech.
Sir Richard said business supported the government's spending cuts, but some politically motivated initiatives were damaging.
The government has "taken a series of policy initiatives for political reasons, apparently careless of the damage they might do to business and to job creation", Sir Richard said in his last major speech before his departure on Friday.
'Making matters worse'
Spending cuts and initiatives such as this month's VAT increase from 17.5% to 20% would help fix the UK's structural deficit over time, Sir Richard said.
"But to bring the public finances back to full health, they will have to be accompanied by increased output and employment - which bring with them higher tax revenues," he stressed.
"Public spending cuts and private sector growth are two sides of the same coin."
Hence, without initiatives supporting private sector growth, the spending cuts would not only be futile; they would be actively detrimental, he reasoned.
Ed Balls, Labour's shadow chancellor, urged the government to heed the warning from Sir Richard.
"These are damning criticisms from such a respected figure in the business world," he said.
Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary-elect, also agreed with Sir Richard's assessment.
"It's not often that Unite and the CBI find common ground in criticising the government," he said.
"Sir Richard's views are a major wake-up call for David Cameron and George Osborne; the medicine they're feeding the patient will kill, not cure."
Bank of England governor Mervyn King is expected to mention his concerns over inflation in a speech in Newcastle on Tuesday evening.
