Ringing endorsement for assembly by Government

THE Government has underlined its commitment to regional assemblies in a letter to Epping Forest District Council where councillors, by 36 votes to eight, voted to call on Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to abolish the controversial bodies.

John Powell, from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has told the council the Government remains "firmly committed to improving economic performance and quality of life across all regions".

"To achieve this it will continue local government reform and an active regional policy to decentralise power and strengthen the regions." The letter added: "The regional assemblies have an important influence on housing, planning, transport, economic development and skills and training in their region. These regional bodies play a co-ordinating, strategic role with the full involvement of local authorities and other representatives of the region drawing up the regional spatial, transport and waste strategies."

The Government "continues to have a clear policy to decentralise and improve performance in local government and strengthening all the English regions, not just through elected assemblies. That will carry on in the East of England".

Mr Powell, from the regional authorities division, said the assemblies "allow serious discussion of difficult planning and housing issues". He added: "There are difficult issues and conflicting pressures in the eastern and other regions, as serious commentators recognise. They can't be solved within the boundaries of a single authority."