Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure combined authorities publish up-to-date, audited accounts, before devolving powers and funding to combined authorities.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The non-compliance list sets out which bodies have failed to meet the relevant backstop date and includes information on whether draft accounts were published in time, the appointed auditor, whether an audit opinion was delivered by the backstop date, and whether audited accounts were subsequently published.
The list highlights that all combined authorities are compliant with the statutory requirements to publish audited accounts except Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has outstanding accounts for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The government continues to engage with all local bodies and audit firms to ensure that issues preventing the issuance of audit opinions are resolved and that outstanding opinions are published as soon as practicable.
The statutory deadline for publishing audited accounts for 2025/26 is 31 January 2027 and the government will continue to publish the outcome of the statutory deadlines. As part of its reform of the local audit system, the government is establishing the Local Audit Office later in autumn 2026, which will strengthen accountability, transparency and oversight across the sector.
The Government has moved away from 'devolution by deal' towards a statutory Devolution Framework, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. Rather than determining individually which powers should be devolved to particular institutions, Strategic Authorities at each of the three levels in the framework will be automatically entitled to a standard set of powers, funding and collaboration agreements, with a clear route to taking on greater responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government which combined authorities (1) have published, or (2) have not published audited accounts, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The non-compliance list sets out which bodies have failed to meet the relevant backstop date and includes information on whether draft accounts were published in time, the appointed auditor, whether an audit opinion was delivered by the backstop date, and whether audited accounts were subsequently published.
The list highlights that all combined authorities are compliant with the statutory requirements to publish audited accounts except Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has outstanding accounts for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The government continues to engage with all local bodies and audit firms to ensure that issues preventing the issuance of audit opinions are resolved and that outstanding opinions are published as soon as practicable.
The statutory deadline for publishing audited accounts for 2025/26 is 31 January 2027 and the government will continue to publish the outcome of the statutory deadlines. As part of its reform of the local audit system, the government is establishing the Local Audit Office later in autumn 2026, which will strengthen accountability, transparency and oversight across the sector.
The Government has moved away from 'devolution by deal' towards a statutory Devolution Framework, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. Rather than determining individually which powers should be devolved to particular institutions, Strategic Authorities at each of the three levels in the framework will be automatically entitled to a standard set of powers, funding and collaboration agreements, with a clear route to taking on greater responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the process for the sale of scrap metal from the ex-Redcar Steelworks has brought value for money for the public.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The independent panel’s report was published on Monday 29 January and found no evidence of illegality of corruption. The report also made several recommendations on governance and oversight. The Secretary of State asked the mayor to consider these carefully, working with the Combined Authority and partners as appropriate, to provide him with an initial report by 8 March on how he intends to respond to the panel’s recommendations.
The Secretary of State is clear that he will not take decisions on further action until he has considered that response.
As they were appointed to do so independently of government, the panel themselves have made their own assessments of all relevant evidence presented within the terms of reference within which they were established.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the report commissioned by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in May 2023 about the activity of the Tees Valley combined authority with regard to Teesworks Ltd. and the sale of land formerly part of the Redcar Steelworks will be published.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The independent panel’s report was published on Monday 29 January and found no evidence of illegality of corruption. The report also made several recommendations on governance and oversight. The Secretary of State asked the mayor to consider these carefully, working with the Combined Authority and partners as appropriate, to provide him with an initial report by 8 March on how he intends to respond to the panel’s recommendations.
The Secretary of State is clear that he will not take decisions on further action until he has considered that response.
As they were appointed to do so independently of government, the panel themselves have made their own assessments of all relevant evidence presented within the terms of reference within which they were established.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have scrutinised the published accounts for Teesworks Ltd. in 2022–23; and what assessment they have made of the price at which the 90 acres of land were sold to Teesworks Ltd.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The independent panel’s report was published on Monday 29 January and found no evidence of illegality of corruption. The report also made several recommendations on governance and oversight. The Secretary of State asked the mayor to consider these carefully, working with the Combined Authority and partners as appropriate, to provide him with an initial report by 8 March on how he intends to respond to the panel’s recommendations.
The Secretary of State is clear that he will not take decisions on further action until he has considered that response.
As they were appointed to do so independently of government, the panel themselves have made their own assessments of all relevant evidence presented within the terms of reference within which they were established.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the governance arrangements for the South Tees Development Corporation are adequate to oversee the public interest.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The independent panel’s report was published on Monday 29 January and found no evidence of illegality of corruption. The report also made several recommendations on governance and oversight. The Secretary of State asked the mayor to consider these carefully, working with the Combined Authority and partners as appropriate, to provide him with an initial report by 8 March on how he intends to respond to the panel’s recommendations.
The Secretary of State is clear that he will not take decisions on further action until he has considered that response.
As they were appointed to do so independently of government, the panel themselves have made their own assessments of all relevant evidence presented within the terms of reference within which they were established.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the auditing arrangements for combined authorities.
Answered by Baroness Penn
All combined authorities are legally required to have an audit committee. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, and the Combined Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Access to Information Audit Committees) Order 2017, set the requirements for audit committees in combined authorities. These arrangements ensure that there is independent assurance of combined authorities governance, internal control and risk management arrangements, as well as the statutory financial reporting process.
Separately, combined authorities, in line with the requirements on all local authorities, are required to publish audited annual financial accounts. Combined authorities are not immune to the cross-system challenges currently facing the local audit market. The government working with system partners has developed proposals to tackle the exceptional circumstance of the current backlog and ensure a return to timely delivery of high-quality financial reporting and external audit in local bodies. We will consult on these imminently.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in their investigation into pyridine in the River Tees.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Defra is not progressing any further investigative work into the presence of pyridine in the River Tees at this time. We are however finalising the development and validation of a detection method to reliably quantify the amounts of pyridine in crab tissues. Once completed, we will use this test to assess the levels of pyridine in environmental crab tissues associated with the impacted and non-impacted areas, to better understand the significance of pyridine in crustacea, including the potential for its endogenous production post-mortem.
The Government Chief Scientific Adviser has conveyed an independent external expert panel to review all the scientific evidence relating to this issue and report published on Friday 20 January.
Defra scientists continue to engage with the wider academic community with regard to ongoing research and development work into the ecological status of the Tees and the wider North Sea.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government who has been appointed to the expert panel established to investigate pyridine in the River Tees.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The expert panel announced in November has been convened and is made up of experts from outside government and its agencies, with representatives from over 10 leading marine science organisations. They will assess the evidence and consider all explanations for the mortality of crabs and lobsters that occurred in 2021, using all available data and informed by wider scientific research and expert opinions. The panel’s findings, and details of its membership and terms of reference, has now been published.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor pyridine in the River Tees; and what assessment they have made of whether preparation for the Teesside Freeport is safe to fishing interests.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Environment Agency carries out routine monitoring of water quality in the River Tees, which includes testing for Pyridine. Monthly samples are taken at 10 locations within the Tees Estuary and adjacent coastal waters.
The Tees South Bank Quay licence application required a full Environmental Impact Assessment under the Marine Work (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (2017) and Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009), which included an assessment of likely significant effects to fish ecology and fishery receptors. Various mitigation measures were stipulated on the licence and the full detail of the licensing and consultation process can be found on the MMO Public Register.
Meanwhile, the Marine Management Organisation uses internationally accepted guidelines including from The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic 1992 (OSPAR) to help inform its licensing decisions.
The UK is a contracting party to OSPAR, and OSPAR guidance is used to identify chemicals for testing. Pyridine is not routinely measured in sediment, and there are currently no plans to monitor for pyridine in sediments generally, including for dredge and disposal applications. Pyridine is not listed as a Chemical for Priority Action (contaminant of concern, based on persistency, liability to bioaccumulate, and toxicity) by either OSPAR (https://www.ospar.org/work-areas/hasec/hazardous-substances/priority-action) [copy attached to this answer] or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).