Official figures show that Britain's economy expanded by 0.7% for the third quarter running in the first three months of 2007, even though growth in household spending slowed.
The annual rate of growth, meanwhile, was revised up a tenth of point to 2.9%.
The marginally stronger than expected figures are likely to reinforce expectations that the Bank of England will hike interest rates at least once more this year.
The central bank has already raised interest rates four times since August, taking them to 5.5% this month, in order to curb inflation.
The latest data showed the implied GDP deflator - a measure of price pressures in the economy - recorded an annual rate of 3.2% - the highest since the fourth quarter of 2003.
But consumer spending slowed after the strong growth seen at the end of last year. It rose by 0.6% in the first three months but the annual rate of expansion was 3.1%, the highest in more than two years.
