National Audit Office

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) faces an increasing problem of older tax debts which are harder to collect, according to a spending watchdog. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/Press Association)

'HMRC is dealing with older tax debts which are harder to collect'
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) faces an increasing problem of older tax debts which are harder to collect, according to a spending watchdog.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen is also among the seven allies who have been nominated for a peerage as part of the former PM’s long-awaited list.

Inspectors to probe Ben Houchen's Tees Valley over 'ongoing concerns'

A steel worker at one of the blast furnaces at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. The Government spent £377 million to prevent the closure of the country's last two blast furnaces in the steel industry, according to a new report. Darren Staples/PA Wire

Cost of saving final steel blast furnaces revealed

The net-zero agenda is damaging the profitability of the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe (Picture: Ryan Jenkinson)

Cost of saving British Steel furnaces revealed

A train passes through Cross Gates railway station. PIC: James Hardisty

NPR needs Government to work with local authorities

West Yorkshire Police on patrol along Briggate, Leeds, in 2020. PIC: James Hardisty

How police reforms could leave Yorkshire short - Andrew Vine

Martin McCluskey, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).(Picture by Shaun Curry / DESNZ)

Minister’s pledge to act over ‘jaw-dropping’ scandal

Children and parents have demonstrated against North Yorkshire Council's controversial home-to-school transport policy outside Appleton Roebuck Primary School near Tadcaster

'Consequences' in North Yorkshire over rise in school transport costs

School children in a classroom. PIC: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Spiralling cost for school transport shows the Send system is broken

High upfront costs are deterring many people from switching to heat pumps, according to Which?

Three ways to encourage households to switch to heat pumps

In response to the NAO’s findings, anti-fuel poverty campaigners warned the system had “let cowboys through the front door”, and called for it to be fixed to bring down energy bills and keep people warm. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

Botched scheme let 'cowboys in through front door'

Domestic pigs on a pig farm. PIC: Adobe

Livestock sector must keep leading the way in reducing AMR - Adrian Fellows

A sign warning of foot and mouth disease near Hawes in North Yorkshire, in 2001.

The threat of animal disease should concern us all

NFU President Tom Bradshaw.

NFU 'extremely concerned' about risk of animal disease outbreak in UK

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen operates plant machinery during a photo call at a ceremony to mark the ground-breaking of the Net Zero Teesside project on September 27, 2023.

Tees Valley Combined Authority responds to Government concerns

Lorries queue for the frontier control area at the Port of Dover in Kent. The Government has no clear timetable to fully implement its post-Brexit border controls with the EU, the National Audit Office (NAO) said on Monday. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

New £1bn national biosecurity centre aims to tackle animal disease

A household water tap. PIC: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

Good businesses would never have allowed the water infrastructure to reach this ...

New reservoirs are needed to address the looming shortages

No plan to address looming UK water shortage, damning report finds

Drax has announced that it is exploring opportunities to provide power to UK data centres. Picture by Simon Hulme

Government to 'enhance' monitoring and enforcement of Drax

An electric car plugged into an EV charging point in London. PIC: John Walton/PA Wire

Yorkshire and Humber has worst EV charging infrastructure in Britain

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Yorkshire and the Humber has the lowest number of public electric vehicle charging points in Great Britain per person, showing the North-South divide in EV infrastructure.
By The Newsroom

Carl Les is the leader of North Yorkshire Council. PIC: Bruce Rollinson

Council Tax freezes would leave budgets at risk of falling behind - Carl Les

A taped off section inside a school which has been affected with sub standard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). PIC: Jacob King/PA Wire

Crumbling infrastructure need to be fixed now despite the significant cost

Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen. Before the general election, Labour pledged a National Audit Office investigation into Lord Houchen's Teesworks project. Credit: Getty

Labour refuses to commit to Teesworks National Audit Office probe

Library image of leaseholders taking part in a demonstration in London in 2021 to demand an end to the "cladding scandal". (Photo by PA Media/Harry Scoffin)

It's time to end buck-passing over cladding scandal: Greg Wright

Current SEN spending is putting councils in a tricky position, the report says

Special education system 'failing' - could next week’s Budget fix it?

We learned a lot from Liz Truss about what can go wrong when a government opts for a naïve dash for growth. PIC: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

The new Government’s dash for growth could be impressive or naïve - Andy Brown

The entrance to the Teesworks industrial site.

Government "not ruling anything out" with potential Teesworks investigation

Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits the Darlington Economic Campus. Picture by Kirsty O'Connor / Treasury.

Rachel Reeves refuses to commit to further investigation into Teesworks

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan hold images of bees they created during a visit to the Busy Bees nursery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on August 21, 2023. (Photo by Danny Lawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Fears over how free nursery care for under twos will impact staff and wages

The main entrance to the Teesworks site.

Michael Gove told to send National Audit Office to scrutinise Teesworks spend

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen stands by plant machinery during a photo call at a ceremony to mark the ground-breaking of the Net Zero Teesside project.

Ben Houchen refuses to say he will renegotiate controversial Teesworks deal
Conservative mayor Ben Houchen refused to say he would renegotiate the deal which saw 90 per cent of a public-private partnership handed over to two property developers when challenged by his election rivals.
Leigh Jones

The Parkinson Building, at the University of Leeds.

Student finance system "open to fraud" according to Parliamentary report

Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Labour Leader Keir Starmer take a boat trip on the River Tees during a visit to PD ports on April 18, 2024 in Teesside.

Labour will send National Audit Office to investigate Teesworks

Lucy Harper, Head of School Salterlee Primary & Steve Evans, CEO Polaris Multi-Academy Trust

West Yorkshire multi-academy trust secures £1.4M funding for building improvemen...

The NHS's central purchasing body has been left to "mark its own homework" due to "weak oversight" from health bosses, MPs have said. PIC: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Lack of oversight of NHS Supply Chain shows there’s a desperate need for reform

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen

Ben Houchen rebuffs fresh criticism over 'damning' Teesworks report

Leeds Trinity University: Watchdog to investigate franchised provision due to "concerns"

Leeds Trinity University: Watchdog to investigate franchised provision

Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, pictured in 2021. PIC: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

The Teesworks review won’t put controversy around the development to bed

Drax Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire.

Government can't prove biomass is sustainable, spending watchdog warns

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove leaves Downing Street, London, following a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday. PIC: James Manning/PA Wire

Levelling up being further frustrated by avoidable delays - The YP says

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove leaves Downing Street, London, following a Cabinet reshuffle.

Levelling Up projects won't be finished on time, public spending watchdog warns

700,000 children in England attending schools that need major repairs

The government has announced the panel for its independent review of finance and governance at Teesworks.

Government reveals panel to investigate Teesworks financial arrangements

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said a panel of scientists has already investigated the mass die off and done a “thorough job"

Therese Coffey says Teesside probe will not look into ‘conspiracy theories’

TEESSIDE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: A general view along the River Tees as the official announcement was made today that Teesside will become a Freeport on October 28, 2021 in Teesside, England.

Investigation into Teesworks project launched by Government

River Tees

Tees Freeport: Government 'has not given permission' for investigation

A general view along the River Tees

Does National Audit Office have powers to investigate Teesside freeport?

The British Steel Pension Scheme mis-selling scandal casts a cloud over the financial services sector’s reputation and underlines the need for a regulator with an iron fist, says Greg Wright

British Steel Pension Scheme mis-selling scandal shows need for tough rules

Lisa Nandy, Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has urged the National Audit Office (NAO) to investigate the Teesside Freeport zone. PIC: PA

NAO must take a thorough look at Teesside Freeport zone - The YP says

Fraud now accounts for more than 40 percent of all crime in England and Wales, according to the National Audit Office.

Why the Government is finally acting to tackle the rising tide of fraud

Handout photo of Director general of the BBC Tim Davie during a session at the Royal Television Society London Convention 2022. Picture date: Tuesday September 27, 2022.

Three key questions for BBC bosses on 'digital future' plans: The YP says

Gavin Bashar, UK managing director at Tunstall Healthcare. Picture: Peter Sorrell

Healthcare overhaul could lead to isolated services, warns technology boss

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Healthcare overhaul could lead to isolated services, warns technology boss

A Transpennine service heading to Manchester.

There's only one thing slower than a train over the Pennines - David Behrens

A Transpennine train travelling towards Manchester.

Government's Transpennine spending mess shows contempt for North - The YP says

The Transpennine Route Upgrade was first announced in 2011

Major rail upgrade could be hit by more delays after £190m is 'wasted'

BRITISH STEEL

British Steel pension scandal a betrayal - The Yorkshire Post says

What is your verdict on Chancellor Rishi Sunak's response to the energy crisis?

Why energy giants should face windfall tax as bills soar – Jayne Dowle

The Financial Conduct Authority said it will launch a consultation on redress for thousands of workers who abandoned their valuable final salary pension plans due to potentially bad advice given in 2017 and 2018.

Financial advisers told to prepare for payouts to British Steel pension savers

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