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Budget Responsibility and National Audit Bill [HL]

Yes, categorically. The Bill refers to them as the staff of the OBR. We can argue about language, but if somebody asks who my staff are, I say, ““He works for me and so does he. They are on my budget and they are my staff””. Sorry, I should have said ““she””. If someone said to me, ““Actually, they are not, they are Treasury officials on secondment,”” I would not regard that as a correct use of the words ““my staff””. The Minister may agree with the noble Lord, Lord Turnbull, that the point made by my noble friend Lord Barnett and me does not matter, and may be perfectly happy for them to be on secondment, work part time and so on. If that is the position, I would like to know. My position is that an independent body appoints its own staff, and they are its staff.