IN ITS deliberations on the structure of local Government in a post-devolution Cumbria, the Boundary Committee estimates that the current system of Cumbria County Council and the six districts costs £17.6 million a year to run.

According to the committee, both the options it has put forward will save millions of pounds in running costs with the Morecambe Bay and North Cumbria authority option costing £13.9 million a year to run and the option for a single authority for the whole of Cumbria costing just £9.1 million.

But Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins, a long-time opponent of regional devolution, is sceptical.

"Every local government reorganisation in history has been sold to the public on the claim that it will lower costs and bureaucracy and every single time it has produced more costs and greater bureaucracy," he said.

Meanwhile, David MacLean, Tory MP for Penrith and the Border, lambasted the Boundary Committee, saying it had: "Come to Cumbria and obeyed John Prescott's instructions to carve up local government just to suit his regional devolution dreams.

"If we vote yes to regional government in the North West, then we will lose truly local government in Cumbria the district councils, which are closer to the people, will be scrapped," said Mr Maclean.

"If we want to keep local government close to the people, then we have to vote against the regional assembly.