The Tees Valley Combined Authority has been accused of “removing citizen’s rights” with changes preventing the public from submitting questions ahead of meetings.
Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen, who heads up the authority, plans to host in-person ‘Question Time’ events twice a year and participate in a monthly local radio phone-in. But at the same time the proposals set to be decided on by TVCA cabinet members - local council leaders - on Friday will see the current system of submitting questions in relation to matters on the agenda at meetings and having them answered in writing by officers removed.
Ray Casey, a member of informal group ‘Teesside Resistance’, whose members oppose Lord Houchen, said: “This appears to be an attempt to reduce public scrutiny of the TVCA.
“We are just over a year from the Tees Valley Review in which the TVCA was criticised for lack of accountability. Instead of responding positively to the suggestions contained in the review, the mayor and his staff are taking the TVCA in the opposite direction.”
The findings of the review, commissioned by former Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove found no evidence of corruption or illegality in respect of Teesworks Ltd, the Teesworks Joint Venture Partners, the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) or TVCA. But a series of recommendations were made to strengthen governance, legal and administrative frameworks at the combined authority and related bodies, and also ensure that value for money was being achieved.
Mr Houchen accepted the recommendations and a process has been under way since to implement them.
Mr Casey said: “A group of us started asking the TVCA questions after the Tees Valley Review was published due to ongoing concerns about how public money and assets were being managed.
“We had concerns and submitting questions to the statutory meetings was a vehicle for raising those concerns."
Mr Casey said the public weren’t guaranteed to have access to Mr Houchen in order to ask questions, some could be vetted to "avoid difficult ones" and it was also “highly unlikely” he would be able to answer some detailed questions previously posed.
A cabinet report to be considered by TVCA cabinet members said: “Where there is a legitimate question to answer, it is important that TVCA does so, but currently hours of officer time are being used pointing to readily available resources, reducing capacity. TVCA believes this is not an effective use of public money and resources.
“Following the commitment to introducing a mayoral Question Time from May 2025, it is proposed that the TVCA public participation protocol be removed from the TVCA constitution. It is felt that this is both proportionate and reflects the approach taken by other combined authorities that already have in place a mayor's Question Time.”
The TVCA has an annual budget worth more than £300m with responsibility for areas such as business growth, transport, and adult education, employment and skills, and is expected also to receive further devolved powers in the coming years.
In a previous statement it said it published the answers to questions on its website to ensure full transparency, despite there being no formal requirement to do so. It also said there was no formal guidance for combined authorities in relation to answering of public questions at meetings and also no requirement to consult the public in terms of revising the protocol.
Mr Casey said the effect of the plans would increase the number of Freedom of Information requests received by the authority, the answers to which were not currently published in a publicly available disclosure log.
Another further change set to come into effect “to aid and ensure further accessibility” will see all statutory meetings of the TVCA from next month recorded and published on YouTube within five working days following the meeting taking place.
A TVCA spokesman said details on the proposals were outlined in the cabinet report.
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