THE Conservative Party today claimed the Government had wasted more than £5,000 trying to promote the case for an elected regional assembly in Blackburn this month.

After regional affairs spokeswoman, Caroline Spelman, and her assistant, Bernard Jenkin, visited Manchester to oppose the change, they produced figures that showed the cost of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's Regional Assembly Roadshow would hit £74,100 nationally. The hearing in Blackburn on March 4 cost £5,400.

Mr Jenkin said: "This seems to be a total waste of tax-payers money. Surely this money could have been used to put police on the beat or help the more deprived areas."

But Burnley MP Peter Pike said: "This is democracy in action, not propaganda. The Government is entirely entitled to explain what the policy could mean so people are informed when they vote."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope added: "I am sceptical about elected regional assemblies but this was a sensible thing to do. It was John Prescott offering people the chance to find out what regional government could mean."

A spokesman for Mr Prescott said: "This was not misappropriate use of Government money."