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

To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the ongoing Best Value Notice served on the Tees Valley Combined Authority, what specific, measurable quantitative and qualitative indicators of failure they are currently using to assess whether the Authority continues to satisfy the best value duty under section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999; and which of these specific indicators, if triggered, would necessitate an immediate escalation to a statutory intervention under section 15(1) of that Act.

As set out in the statutory guidance, the Department considers a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence when assessing whether an authority is complying with its Best Value Duty, including financial reporting and external audit findings. Decisions are based on a holistic assessment of all available information, and no single metric automatically leads to intervention. Ministers continue to require assurance of Tees Valley Combined Authority's compliance with the Best Value Duty and the Best Value Notice remains in place while they consider appropriate next steps based on the available evidence.