§ The Minister for Local Government and the Regions(Mr. Nick Raynsford)I am today launching a soundings exercise on the level of interest in each English region (outside London) in holding a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. I will be writing to all Members in the English regions outside London about the soundings exercise to invite their views. Copies of the document have also been deposited in the Vote Office for convenience.
I am also publishing today, for consultation, a draft of the guidance to the Boundary Committee for England on local government reviews.
Copies of the soundings and consultation papers have been deposited in the House Libraries. They are also available on the ODPM web site. Responses to both the soundings exercise and the consultation on the guidance are requested by 3 March 2003.
The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill currently before Parliament enables the Secretary of State, by order, to specify the region (s) to hold a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. Before the Secretary of State can order a referendum, the Bill requires that the Boundary Committee for England has been directed to carry out, and has made recommendations arising out of, a local government review of the region. The level of interest in holding a referendum will be a key factor in deciding where a review is to be carried out. So this policy gives people a choice.
Our proposals for elected regional assemblies will increase democracy, not bureaucracy. In regions where people vote to have an elected assembly we intend to streamline government by moving to a wholly unitary local government structure. Before an order causing a referendum to be held in the region can be made, the Boundary Committee will have conducted a review of local government in the region and made its recommendations for the best unitary structure for those parts of the region that currently have both a county and district council.