Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Combined Authority Best Value

15 October 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Jim McMahon Labour (Co-op) Oldham West and Royton

Local Government

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Jim McMahon raised concerns about combined authority best value in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The Government aims to empower local leaders to boost local growth and outcomes.
  • The Department issued a Best Value Notice to Tees Valley Combined Authority in April 2025.
  • Laura Shoaf CBE was appointed as Lead Inspector to assess the Authority's compliance.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Jim McMahon Labour (Co-op) Oldham West and Royton

The Government is committed to a radical shift in where power and resources lie, empowering local leaders to drive growth and improve outcomes for their communities. However, stronger local leadership must be matched by strong local institutions. The Department issued Tees Valley Combined Authority with a non-statutory Best Value Notice in April 2025, setting expectations for improvement around governance, culture, partnerships, and continuous improvement. Despite sustained improvement efforts, there are concerns about the Authority's financial sustainability, high levels of debt, increasing borrowing, and declining revenue reserves. The Secretary of State has appointed Laura Shoaf CBE as Lead Inspector to carry out an inspection of the Authority’s compliance with its Best Value Duty.

Other contributors (1)
  • Jim McMahon Lab Oldham West and Royton

    The Government has engaged closely with the Authority and its independent Improvement and Advisory Board to scrutinise progress against the Notice and the Authority’s Organisational Improvement Plan. I am not yet assured that the Authority has the capacity, capability, or appropriate arrangements in place to respond with sufficient pace, transparency, or consistency to the level of remaining risk. I have material concerns about the Authority's long-term financial sustainability, given its high levels of debt, increasing borrowing and interest costs, and declining revenue reserves in recent years. I welcome the Authority's recent agreement of formal loan repayment arrangements with South Tees Development Corporation, but those steps do not provide assurance on the assumptions underpinning the repayment arrangements or the management of associated financial risks.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy