Three English regions prepare for assemblies referenda

Three English regions are to move towards holding referendums for elected regional assemblies, the Deputy Prime Minister announced today.

The northern regions - North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber – have been selected following responses to the government's soundings exercise aimed to test the level of interest in holding a referendum in all eight English regions. The earliest referendums could be ordered is summer 2004 which would allow the first referendums to take place in autumn 2004.

More than 8,400 separate responses were received – more than 80% of them were from people responding in a private capacity. The other 1,200 responses were from organisations or interested individuals responding in a representative capacity. It is estimated that at least 50,000 people were involved in some way in the soundings exercise since it began in December 2002.

The three regions will now be subject to a local government review conducted by the Boundary Committee - a necessary pre-cursor to referendums on elected regional assemblies, says the government.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "In the past six years, we have achieved a far-reaching and radical programme of constitutional change. We have handed power back to the people through devolution to Scotland and Wales and restored democratic city-wide government to London.

"An elected regional assembly will give people more say about the issues that affect their region. It can make government more effective and accountable and also represent the specific priorities of that region at a national level.

In May 2002 the White Paper, 'Your Region, Your Choice', was published setting out the government's proposals to establish elected regional assemblies, and last month the Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act became law, paving the way for referendums to be held.

The decision today is another step towards the possible establishment of elected regional assemblies.

However, this step is not being taken by all English regions – five of the eight regions have shown less interest in holding a referendum at this time.

The government is also planning to strengthen regional autonomy by looking at existing regional institutions. This has an important part to play in revitalising all eight English regions.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: "The institutions that already exist - the Regional Chambers, the Regional Development Agencies and the Government Offices for the Regions - will continue to ensure that there is a distinctive regional voice from each region heard in Whitehall and elsewhere."

(GmcG)