The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) met on Tuesday 8 September 2026 to discuss the North East Rail Vision and the Excellence in Education Programme. The committee also reviewed and revised its work programme for the upcoming year.

North East Rail Vision

The committee considered proposals for the development of a North East Rail Vision, a high-level document outlining the region's priorities for rail services up to 2040. Tobyn Hughes, Director of Transport, presented the vision, which aims to leverage the government's rail reform programme and the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR) to shape the future of the rail network in the region. The vision is structured around six key principles: affordability, opportunity enablement, people focus, integration, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability.

Councillor Jamie Driscoll raised concerns about the outsourcing of cleaning services by Nexus and asked what the MSA was doing to support local service providers and the local workforce. Hughes responded that cleaning services had always been outsourced by Nexus and that while he could not comment on a live procurement process, the specification required bidders to pay the real living wage and work towards the MSA's Shine accreditation. Driscoll also questioned the MSA's commitment to insourcing and the use of the Social Value Act 2012 and Procurement Act 2023 to keep money within the North East. He stressed the importance of consulting with frontline workers and their representatives.

Councillor Driscoll further inquired about the implementation of SMART goals for the rail vision, specifically regarding integrated ticketing across different modes of transport. Hughes explained that the Rail Vision is a high-level document and not a detailed strategy, but that the MSA has a performance management framework with KPIs and a corporate plan that outlines specific deliverables. He offered to provide the committee with a summary of the MSA's transport indicators.

Councillor Stephen Boran questioned whether plans for the Leamside line were premature given the government's lack of funding commitment. Hughes explained the different stages of rail project development and stated that the current focus is on developing a strategic outline business case to present to central government. He acknowledged the public's scepticism due to the long history of the Leamside line proposal but highlighted that the Metro to Washington extension, part of the Leamside line project, has secured funding.

Councillor Craig Heathcote raised concerns about the conflation of terminology regarding the Leamside line programme and the Metro extension to Washington, questioning the £400 million figure. Hughes clarified that the £400 million was intended for construction costs, not the business case, and that the total construction costs for the Metro to Washington were expected to exceed this amount. He acknowledged the need for better clarity and information supply for effective scrutiny.

Councillor Dawn Welsh proposed the creation of a dashboard to track projects, their stages, committed funding, and timelines, which was supported by Councillor Heathcote. Hughes agreed to provide a consolidated list of projects with the requested information.

Following the presentation and questions, the committee made a recommendation to Cabinet that the North East Rail Vision should include concrete objectives and timelines for key elements, such as integrated ticketing, to provide clarity for the public.

Excellence in Education Programme

The committee reviewed the progress of the Excellence in Education (EiE) programme, a three-year initiative funded by a £4.9 million allocation from the MSA's investment fund. The programme aims to address regional educational challenges, including attainment gaps, high absence and exclusion rates, and child poverty. Andrew Garrad, Senior Programme Manager for Education Improvement, and Sarah Blakeman, Senior Professional Development Advisor from Education Durham, presented the programme's progress.

The EiE programme focuses on three priority areas:

1. Inclusion: Improving attendance, addressing social, emotional, and mental health needs, and supporting transitions for disadvantaged pupils.
2. Realising Potential: Developing literacy, oracy, and mathematics skills, promoting cultural and social capital, and supporting disadvantaged children.
3. Teacher Wellbeing, Development and Retention: Supporting the resilience and leadership of teachers and creating a sustainable culture of excellence.

The programme has engaged 90% of eligible schools across the region, with early evidence of impact in literacy, oracy, and mathematics. A video showcasing the Voice North East project, which supports oracy skills, was presented.

Councillor Dawn Welsh questioned how the programme's effectiveness was being measured, particularly in reaching children in greatest need and ensuring it worked in tandem with other MSA programmes. Adrian Doherty, Assistant Director of Inclusive Futures, explained that a logic model and evaluation framework were in place to track outcomes and that the programme was designed to be iterative, allowing for adjustments based on evidence.

Councillor Craig Heathcote inquired about the definition of engagement and why Gateshead and Durham had lower engagement numbers than other authorities. Andrew Garrad explained that engagement means meaningful involvement with the programme, and that differences in engagement can be attributed to existing local authority capacity, priorities, and established school improvement services. Sarah Blakeman added that in Durham, the local authority's own extensive offer and the engagement of large multi-academy trusts with their own in-house professional development contributed to the statistics.

Councillor Jamie Driscoll highlighted concerns about the pressure on teachers to focus on testing, the lack of time for informal interaction with children, and the issue of off-rolling pupils. He questioned what powers and resources the MSA would need to effectively close the attainment gap. Alan Reiss, Director of Operations, acknowledged that the MSA does not yet have all the desired powers but is engaging with the government on devolution proposals outlined in the Rewiring the State document.

Councillor Stephen Boran asked if the MSA could support children and families in gaining internet access, particularly for homeschooling. Doherty confirmed that this issue is addressed within the Mayor's Child Poverty Action Plan, which includes a commitment to tackle digital exclusion. Councillor Boran proposed a recommendation that children in severe poverty receive free Wi-Fi access.

The committee discussed the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education, with a conference planned for June 2027. Councillor Richard Vardy noted that statistics for skills development did not break down by primary and secondary levels, and that the problem of attainment gaps was more pronounced in secondary schools. Garrad confirmed that transition points and reading fluency were areas of focus.

The committee agreed to a recommendation that the Cabinet consider providing free internet access for children in severe poverty.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed and revised its work programme for 2026/27. Michael Robson, Senior Governance Officer, presented a framework for the work programme, which will include Mission Reviews, Cross-Cutting/Strategic Enabler Reviews, Pre-Decision Scrutiny, Performance Monitoring, and Temporary Working Groups.

The committee agreed to refresh the membership of the Child Poverty Scrutiny Working Group, appointing Councillor Steve Cox as its lead member. The group is tasked with reviewing its objectives and reporting back by March 2027.

Discussions also touched upon the potential for new working groups on energy, the spatial development strategy, and economic inactivity. The committee agreed to explore the formation of an energy working group and to draw up terms of reference.

Councillor Greg Stone raised concerns about the pace of progress in closing the attainment gap in the North East and suggested adopting proven strategies from other regions. He also questioned the effectiveness of pilot projects and the need for more concrete action.

Councillor Louise Penders suggested that energy availability and cost should be a priority for scrutiny. Councillor Stephen Boran raised concerns about the time allocated for questions during meetings and suggested more time for discussion and less for presentations.

The committee also discussed the implications of increasing devolution of powers to the MSA and the need for strengthened accountability mechanisms. Alan Reiss confirmed that the MSA is engaging with the government on proposals for further devolution and accountability.

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at the Gateshead Civic Centre.