Grilling for Gove over Teesworks

IT was originally due in the summer, before being pushed back to November, then December. When will the review commissioned by the Government into corruption allegations at the Teesworks development finally see the light of day?

- ROB PARSONS

That was the question posed by North East MP Ian Lavery this week as he quizzed Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove over the long-awaited report into claims of illegality linked to the flagship regeneration project on the old Redcar steelworks.

Mr Gove ordered the probe last May, with chief executive of Lancashire County Council Angie Ridgwell appointed chairwoman. But at the Business and Trade Committee hearing this week he refused to give a deadline for when the findings would come out, saying that he could not "force the hand of an independent investigator".

With the conclusion of the investigation having been delayed several times, Labour Wansbeck MP Mr Lavery also warned there was a feeling that it had been "kicked into the long grass because of the mayoral elections in May."