PEOPLE in North Yorkshire joined in a lively debate on a possible future "mini-parliament" for the region.

The Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, in conjunction with the Campaign For Yorkshire, staged a meeting at the York Hilton to discuss government-backed proposals for a regional assembly.

Representatives from a variety of different groups attended, including the Salvation Army, Environment Agency, City of York Council and Yorkshire Rural Community Council.

The first referendum collecting views on the proposals is expected to be held in the next few months, and a consultation White Paper on them has been published.

Moves to set up assemblies will start if they are backed in the referendum.

Peter Box, chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, told the meeting: "The purpose of this is to give people the opportunity to have their say and contribute to the debate on the future of regional government."

Andy Dagorne, from Fulford, York, said he attended the debate to find out more about the issues.

"From what I've heard so far, I'm in favour of the idea.

"There is a lot of money spent in the region by government bodies that are not directly accountable to local people.

"An assembly would be able to give people more say about what happens in the regions.

"If there's going to be a referendum, then we should know what the issues are before voting."

Under the proposals, a regional assembly would be responsible for dealing with issues including housing, transport, economic development and health improvement.

Other policy, including defence, would still be controlled by central government.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said last month that councils across North and East Yorkshire faced abolition if the regional parliament won support in a referendum.

North Yorkshire County Council would be scrapped if the plans went ahead, with district councils being rolled together to make larger unitary authorities which would work with the assembly.

Updated: 10:35 Friday, June 07, 2002