02 August 2002
Sir Jeremy Beecham said the government's timetable, and particularly its decision to wait until legislation is granted Royal Assent before revealing which regions would hold a referendum, was prolonging the process.
'It is heartening that the government is moving forward on this agenda. But it is just going through the Parliamentary motions. It should concentrate on getting referendums in the areas with known support and allowing the Boundary Commission to get on with its work. It is just prolonging the process and will keep councils in the dark for longer,' he told Public Finance.
Beecham's comments follow the announcement by local government minister Nick Raynsford on July 31 that all eight regions will be widely consulted.
In a clear attempt to avoid the confusion that surrounded mayoral consultation, Raynsford said that in areas where the result was inconclusive, the level of disruption or local government reorganisation would become a secondary factor in deciding a referendum.
Despite Raynsford's failure to give any indication of the timing of the consultation, the Campaign for the English Regions (CFER) welcomed the plans and said the first regions for referendums could be chosen by 2003.
'Those in the North will know next year whether they can expect a referendum in the near future. This can only give momentum to our campaign,' said George Moran, chair of the CFER.
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