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Budgets: Disclosure of Information

Asked by Charlie DewhirstConservativeTreasuryTabled Answered 18 March 2026UIN 119618

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what formal safeguards are in place to ensure that publication of the Electronic Financial Statement via HM Treasury does not compromise the operational independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Answered by James Murray

HM Treasury published the March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Forecast on behalf of the Office for Budget Responsibility and at its request.

Paragraph 3.12 of the Budget Information Security Review notes: “The publication of the OBR’s EFO on GOV.UK by HMT should not diminish the OBR’s independence and will not give HMT access to any information ahead of time of which it is not already aware.”

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