HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 cc817-8W
Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what local authorities have written to his Department to(a) support the establishment of regional assemblies based on a Government defined region, (b) support the establishment of regional assemblies not based on Government defined regions, (c) oppose regional assemblies based on Government defined regions and (d) oppose the policy of setting up regional assemblies. [36961]

Dr. Whitehead

Since the general election in 2001 the Department has received four representations from local authorities in support of the establishment of regional government based on the Government office regions, and one in support of the establishment of regional assemblies not based on a Government office region. We have not received any under(c) and (d) above.

Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people have indicated their support to him for the setting up of a regional assembly for their region, whether Government-defined or not, through(a) letters, (b) meetings, (c) partitions and distributions and (d) other means in the last six months. [36634]

Dr. Whitehead

The Department has received 29 written representations in favour of directly elected regional government for their region since the general election in 2001, including a petition signed by over 50,000 people in Cornwall, 17 per cent. of whom gave addresses outside of Cornwall. The Secretary of State and Ministerial colleagues have met many individuals and organisations that have expressed support for regional government, but numbers for these are not recorded.

Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what meetings he has had with representatives of constitutional conventions and similar bodies seeking to achieve regional assembly status since the general election. [36635]

Dr. Whitehead

The Secretary of State and Ministerial colleagues have met formally with representatives of a number of campaigns and constitutional conventions since the general election. These include the Campaign for the English Regions (whose membership includes the constitutional conventions from the North East, North West, West Midlands and South West and the Campaign for Yorkshire), as well as the Cornish Constitutional Convention.