Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Regional Mayors: Accountability

Monday 22 January 2024 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The English devolution accountability framework was published in March 2023 to enhance the understanding of how regional Mayors and institutions are held accountable.
  • Kirklees Council was provisionally awarded 48 million from the levelling-up fund to upgrade the Penistone railway line, set to improve service and station conditions.
  • Additional funding was provided to councils in the east Midlands to establish a new local authority, ensuring that new funding through Network North will not be consumed by setup costs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nigel Mills Con
Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

No specific event or statistic mentioned, but the question is about ensuring accountability mechanisms are in place for regional Mayors.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to ensure effective accountability of regional Mayors?

Answer from Jacob Young

The English devolution accountability framework was published in March 2023 to make it easier to understand how Mayors, leaders and institutions with devolved powers are held to account. The framework, alongside the recently published scrutiny protocol, will improve scrutiny and make clearer the outcomes and metrics that Mayors are delivering against.

Answered
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Q2 Mark Eastwood
Transport
Context

The MP noted £48 million of levelling-up funds to upgrade the Penistone railway line, but more investment is needed for a half-hourly service.

Question

Once again, I thank the Minister for the £48 million of levelling-up funds to upgrade the Penistone line, which will significantly improve the service and bring much-needed improvements to Shepley, Stocksmoor and Denby Dale stations. However, to achieve the ultimate goal of getting trains to run a half-hourly service, more investment is required, and that needs to come through the West Yorkshire Mayor and Network North. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Mayor should make that a priority, and announce the extra investment to ensure a full upgrade of the Penistone line?

Answer from Jacob Young

We were delighted to provisionally award Kirklees Council with £48 million from the levelling-up fund to upgrade the Penistone railway line. I thank my hon. Friend and others, particularly Conservative Members, for their dedicated support, and I look forward to seeing the benefits that the funding will bring to people travelling between Huddersfield and Sheffield. As my hon. Friend says, Network North will see additional devolved funding provided to the West Yorkshire Mayor. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I will work with him and the Mayor to ensure that this new and unprecedented level of investment addresses local priorities, and supports towns, cities and rural areas across West Yorkshire.

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Q3 Nigel Mills Con
Transport Local Government
Context

The MP is concerned about the £1.5 billion funding for transport improvements and wants to ensure it is spent effectively.

Question

In Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, we are looking forward to electing our first Mayor in a few weeks' time, especially with the £1.5 billion of funding for transport improvements. How do we ensure that that money is spent on improving our road links, fixing potholes, improving railway lines and so on, and is not lost in the creation of a costly administrative third tier of local government?

Answer from Jacob Young

We have provided additional funding to councils in the east midlands to set up the new local authority, so any additional funding through Network North will not be consumed by that. It is a fantastic opportunity to get my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Ben Bradley) elected as the East Midlands Mayor. I am sure that he will focus on exactly the priorities my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Nigel Mills) mentions.

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Q4 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Local Government
Context

The MP questioned why certain areas are excluded from a full devolution deal with a single pot of money, despite previous assurances.

Question

One of the better aspects of devolution so far, which might actually work, is the trailblazer projects that have been rolled out in the west midlands and Greater Manchester. One of the key elements of those projects is having a single pot of money. I have repeatedly asked whether it is the intention to roll devolution deals out to the other combined authorities, and I have been assured that it is. Why, then, in the first iteration of what a new devolution deal might look like, have South Yorkshire, Merseyside and West Yorkshire been told that a single pot of money will not be included in the devolution deal? Why are the Government backtracking on the commitment to give those areas a full devolution deal, not a devolution-minus deal?

Answer from Jacob Young

We have invited the combined authority areas that the hon. Gentleman mentions to progress to level 4 devolution, which as he rightly says does not come with a single settlement. It is something that we are still considering, and when we see it in action in the west midlands and Greater Manchester we will be able to assess its value for money and whether it is delivering for people there. I assure him that this is not devolution-minus; we are giving devolution-plus to communities the length and breadth of the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Whether South Yorkshire, Merseyside and West Yorkshire will receive a single pot of money as part of their devolution deal

How: Still Considering, Yet To See It In Action

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Q5 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Local Government
Context

The MP expressed disappointment regarding the proposed level of scrutiny for Greater Manchester Mayors.

Question

I am a big supporter of devolution to city regions such as Greater Manchester, and I welcome a number of the Government's proposals to shift even more powers and responsibility from this place to the combined authority and Mayor, but does the Minister understand the disappointment of Greater Manchester MPs of all political persuasions in the proposals for greater scrutiny by MPs? One question at meetings, with a supplementary at the discretion of the chair, just does not cut it.

Answer from Jacob Young

I held a session for Greater Manchester MPs on the scrutiny protocol. I cannot remember whether the hon. Gentleman was there, but I am happy to hold a further session with him. The scrutiny protocol is not yet in place; it is a work in progress, which we are trying to establish in partnership with MPs. We want to know what would work well for MPs in the scrutiny sessions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The current proposal for scrutiny by Greater Manchester MPs

How: Not Yet In Place, Work In Progress

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Q6 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Employment Business & Trade
Context

The MP questioned why the report on Teesworks and the Tees Valley Mayor was delayed.

Question

Last week, the Secretary of State told the Business and Trade Committee that he hoped that the long-delayed inquiry that he commissioned into Teesworks and the Tees Valley Mayor will be published soon, and that he would not “pre-empt it”. The report was promised in July, then November, then December. It is now January. Where is it?

Answer from Jacob Young

The hon. Lady should know that the ministerial code means I am recused from matters relating to my constituency. However, I would simply say to her when she wants to criticise Ben Houchen that he is one of the most effective Mayors we have had. The employment rate in Teesside since Ben was elected has increased by 3.6%, compared with the rest of the north-east, which only increased by 0.1%, and the national average of 0.6%. She should focus her attention on some of the Labour Mayors like the Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is failing on housing, failing on crime and failing on the things that matter to people.

Not addressed: When the inquiry report into Teesworks and the Tees Valley Mayor will be published

How: Criticising The Mp, Focusing On Other Labour Mayors

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