To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of the Tees Valley Multi-Area Agreement; and if she will make a statement. (166595)

The Tees Valley is one of 13 sub-regions with whom Government will be working on the development of a Multi-Area Agreement with a view to signing a final agreement by June 2008. The overall objective of MAAs is to facilitate the delivery of improved economic prosperity. As the Tees Valley MAA has not yet been signed, we have made no assessment of effects.