The Treasury Committee has criticised George Osborne for the leaks preceding this year’s Budget saying they were ‘corrosive of good Government’.

Many issues, such as the 45p tax rate and personal tax statements, were hinted at in the weeks preceding the Budget on 21 March.

The Committee felt the leaks hindered public trust in the Government, saying: “Public trust in politics is low and is further eroded if people have grounds to think that announcements about important things affecting them are simply part of a Government media operation.”

In a meeting with the Treasury Select Committee, Chancellor George Osborne blamed the fact he had to have his Budget measures prepared 10 days in advance for reviews by the Office of Budget Responsibility and that the fact he worked in a Coalition increased the likelihood of leaks.

These arguments were described by the Committee as ‘unconvincing’.

The report from the meeting read: “The first of these is no reason on its own for leaks to be more likely and there is no suggestion that the OBR has been the cause of any leak of information.

“As for the coalition being a factor, that is also a weak argument. While more people may be aware of the contents of the Budget, this is a risk that can be managed.”

Certain pre-Budget consultation or canvassing of views about measures not put out for consultation was welcomed but the Committee said it should be carried out accompanied by a Parliamentary statement.

The Committee recommended that the Government reviews its practices for next year to preserve Budget confidentiality.