LONDON — The British government said on Wednesday it was sticking to its plan of austerity despite the sluggishness of the economy, adding that it would take longer to start reducing public debt than it predicted just three months ago.

George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer, blamed the troubles in the euro zone for a deteriorating economic outlook at home. He cited figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility showing that the British economy will grow 0.6 percent this year, half of the earlier expected 1.2 percent growth. Growth will be 1.8 percent next year, down from a previous estimate of 2 percent, he said.  Read more