§ 6. Hugh Robertson (Faversham and Mid-Kent)If he will make a statement on the position of county councils within the proposals in the regional government White Paper. [64159]
§ The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State(Mr. John Prescott)Before a referendum on whether a region wants an elected assembly, the Boundary Committee will carry out an independent review. The review will consider how those parts of the region with county and district boundaries can be restructured on a unitary basis. It will be for the committee to decide whether unitary authorities will he based on existing counties.
§ Hugh RobertsonWill the Deputy Prime Minister accept that some areas have strong regional ties but that in some, such as my own, local links are much more important? What estimate has been made of the cost of reorganisation and the annual running costs of the new regional assemblies?
§ The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of StateThe estimates that have been made for the establishment of the authorities are for some £20 million to begin with, which is similar to the sum for the new London authority. We will make further estimates as the process continues. The judgments about the powers and resources of the authorities have been spelled out in the White Paper and the committee that will consider the boundaries will take them into account.
§ Mr. David Clelland (Tyne Bridge)Is my right hon. Friend aware that a recent BBC opinion poll showed that 54 per cent. of people of England and 65 per cent. of people in the north-east want regional government regardless of its effect on local government? Does he agree that the best way to assess public opinion is to have 215 a referendum? Whether people are in favour of or against regional government, they should join forces to call for a referendum and settle the matter once and for all.
§ The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of StateI agree very much with my hon. Friend and indeed, the White Paper is entitled "Your Choice". It is the people's choice. We will have a referendum and the people will make the decision.
§ Mr. Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar)I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister back to the redoubt of his once mighty empire. We will try to make his stay as comfortable as possible. If the people of Kent reject regional government in a referendum, why will he impose a system of regional government on them?
§ The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of StateI welcome the hon. Gentleman to his role as shadow spokesman for local government, housing and the regions, although the Leader of the Opposition has not seen fit to make him shadow deputy Leader of the Opposition. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman does not wish to suggest who should succeed him.
A decision will be made in the referendum and, alongside that decision, we will have the report on unitary authorities from the Boundary Committee. People will have a choice about their local authority and what sort of regional authority they wish to have.
§ Mr. PicklesSo if the people of Kent say no, the right hon. Gentleman will say yes. Can he demonstrate the homogenous nature of the south-east by naming three things that Aylesbury and Folkestone have in common?
§ The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of StateI do not understand what the hon. Gentleman means. If the referendum result is a rejection of regional government, the local government structure will stay exactly as it is. It is the people's choice, and that is what we will observe.