Yet the recent improvement is from a very low base, especially at the grandest stores.

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Israel's intelligence operations have also been stepped up, albeit from a very low base.

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Housing is recovering from a very low base and the market has picked up speed.

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The central government has substantially increased its spending on health care, but from a very low base.

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Admittedly, this phenomenal growth has occurred from a very low base.

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Northern Ireland construction showed a marginal increase in the third quarter but that was from a very low base in a sector which has been in a depression.

BBC: NI economy remains 'fragile'

Although Africa is the fastest growing market for smartphones, it starts from a very low base and banking services have to work on very low end phones, said Mallon.

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But Lord Macdonald said that the increase has come "from a very low base" as foreign lorries still account for less than 1% of all those on British roads.

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But those were improvements that were made from a very low base, and much remains to be done to bring the level of education up to where it should be.

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In an existence of almost 25 years, the SFO has never commanded much respect from the police or from its counterparts at the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the City watchdog - whose own performance in taking action against financial wrongdoers is perceived to have improved from a very low base.

BBC: SFO: Can it survive Tchenguiz humiliation?