08 March 2002
The party wants to see the powers currently exercised by local and regional quangos, such as NHS trusts and regional development agencies, passed to assemblies, which would be elected by proportional representation. In the long term, they would have the power to pass legislation and raise taxes.
Don Foster, the LibDems' local government spokesman, set out the proposals in a policy document, Empowering the People, published on the eve of the party's spring conference in Manchester.
He said his blueprint for reform would cut the bureaucracy and costs associated with regional government.
'Regional governance in England is confused, expensive and unresponsive to the people it is meant to serve. A complicated web of often unaccountable bodies make decisions in which local people currently have no say,' he said. 'Under our plans, regional government will become more accountable to its electorate.'
Foster claimed there would be no need to scrap county councils if assemblies were set up, as many fear would happen. But he hinted that it could happen in the long term.
'Once regional government is in place, regions would take responsibility for all subsequent reorganisation.'
PFmar2002
