Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) there are clear processes for managing conflicts of (i) actual and (ii) potential commercial interests the decision making of Town Deal Boards, (b) Town Deal Board governance standards are adhered to and (c) Town Deal Boards sign up to a code of conduct based on the Seven Principles of Public Life, as outlined in his Department's document entitled Towns Fund: further guidance, last updated on 12 October 2020.

As set out in the Towns Fund further guidance, we expect the Town Deal Board to align with the governance standards and policies of the town’s Lead Council. There should be clear processes for managing conflicts of interests (commercial, actual and potential) in decision-making, which must apply to all involved with the work of the Town Deal Board. The governance and decision-making structures of the Town Deal Board should be made public by the Lead Council.

The Lead Council should also provide guidance on the pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests individuals must declare, outline the process for declaring those interests and explain the process for requesting an exemption. This includes signing a code of conduct based on the Seven Nolan Principles.

My officials have carried out governance reviews for all Town Deal Boards, making recommendations, where relevant, for improvements and monitoring implementation.