I HAVE already answered the questions from Val Cowell of the UK Independence Party about the current appointed North West Regional Assembly yet he claims to be still confused. I suspect he hopes to spread the confusion to your readers while I intend this letter to clarify the position for them.

The present assembly's members are appointed mainly by the local authorities of the North West with an additional 30 per cent appointed by business, trade unions, colleges and universities and voluntary organisations throughout the region.

If the region votes "Yes" in the forthcoming referendum the the present assembly will be superseded by the elected assembly after the first set of elections has been held. The elected assembly will be given additional powers to promote sustainable economic development, the health and wellbeing of the region's people and the region's cultural heritage and ambitions and generally act as a voice and advocate for the region.

If the region votes "No" then the present assembly will continue to be the "designated chamber" and the regional planning body as set out in the Government White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" and, as such, will continue to be responsible for many important issues, including the drawing up of regional planning guidance which will be binding on all local planning authorities in the region and will thus be, potentially, a major influence on quality of life throughout the region.

The present assembly is recruiting staff to make sure it can do the jobs which the government has given it as the "designated chamber" and as the regional planning body. The government pays for the costs of those jobs by direct grant to the assembly.

Val Cowell has grossly inflated the cost of the present assembly to the council tax payers of the region. The real cost is much less since, to start with, the government funds about 75 per cent of the cost. Although most of the remaining 25 per cent is funded by local authorities by way of planning levy or subscription, it is a minuscule proportion of their budgets (about 0.01per cent). Furthermore the average council in the region funds only about 25 per cent of its expenditure through council tax. Thus the cost of the assembly to the average North West council tax payer is a few pence per year.

And lastly, Mr Cowell already knows the answer to his question about what "salary" I get as Leader of the Assembly and he should not therefore pretend it is somehow being kept secret. For the information of your readers, my "salary" i.e. responsibility allowance as leader of the assembly is just over £5,000 a year.

DEREK BODEN, Leader of the North West Regional Assembly.