Since the publication of our most recent forecast the OBR has received a further request to release a previously unpublished forecast series. We will be releasing forecasts of alcohol consumption today, Tuesday 24 April at 11am. The release will be available in the supplementary documents section on the main EFO page of the website.

The OBR has published a note describing the methodologies it will use to forecast Scottish income tax, landfill tax, stamp duty land tax and aggregates levy receipts. From April 2012, the OBR will be responsible for producing forecasts of these taxes and the first forecast was published alongside the March 2012 Economic and fiscal outlook.

Differences between the RPI and CPI measures of inflation are important because they have different effects on the OBR’s fiscal forecast. Working Paper No. 2 discusses the differences in RPI and CPI inflation and looks at the prospects for the evolution of the wedge between these two measures over the long term.

The OBR has set out its approach to macroeconomic forecasting in a new briefing paper. Unlike many outside forecasts, they need to be highly disaggregated, extend over a five-year horizon and be amenable to sensitivity and scenario analysis.

Robert Chote delivered a speech at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 21 September in which he outlines the role and structure of the OBR and looks ahead to the next forecast.

The Chancellor has announced that the OBR will publish the next Economic and fiscal outlook on Tuesday 29 November 2011.

The Chancellor has announced the appointment of Lord Burns and Kate Barker as the OBR’s non-executive members. HM Treasury has issued a press notice with further details.

Briefing Note 2 explains how the OBR uses business surveys and other data to estimate spare capacity in the economy.

The OBR has released more details of the outlook for household debt and assets implied by its March economic forecast.

The OBR has established a seven-person panel of outside experts to give regular advice on its work programme and methods.