WE are a group of people who wish to open up the debate with regard to regional assemblies and what it will mean to the people of Britain -- the North West in particular.
As we have already learned from the devolved parliament in Scotland and the Welsh Assembly, the costs to all of us are great and steadily mounting.
We have been told that the North West is to have a referendum next year as to whether we want this extra layer of democracy.
What we have not been told, however, is that the North West Regional Assembly is already in situ, having been set up in 1997 with its office in Dorning Street, Wigan and that local councils all over the North West have been contributing many thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to it.
While local schools are crying out for more money and old people's care homes are closing due to lack of funds, I find it unforgivable that public money is being used to fund NWRA and that we have never been informed nor even asked about it.
ANNA CALDER, Director, North West against Regional Devolution, Bryn Road, Ashton in Makerfield.
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