Osborne faces first grilling by Treasury Select Committee

LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne will face his first grilling by parliament's cross-party Treasury Select Committee on Thursday, with questions focussed on last month's emergency budget.

On June 22, Osborne produced the harshest budget in a generation, slashing government spending, raising sales tax and slapping a levy on banks in a bid to put the public finances back on track.

Osborne is also likely to be questioned about the independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility following allegations the budget watchdog was coerced into publishing figures to suit the government's timing.

The Treasury Committee has become a powerful force in politics as public anger has mounted in the wake of a banking crisis that tipped the economy into its worst recession since World War Two.

The new members of the Treasury Select Committee were confirmed earlier this week and take their places alongside chairman Andrew Tyrie, who was elected on June 10.

(Reporting by Christina Fincher; Editing by Ron Askew)