I don't agree with many of the reasons put forward by the No Campaign but I would still urge you to vote No.

The powers offered to the regional assembly are minimal.

We can oversee the fire service but not the police; we can produce strategies but have no direct decision- making powers; we are told we would have control over the quangos but day-to-day decisions would remain with those bodies; we would not have the power to make decisions on students' university fees, pensioners' travel concessions and other decisions that the Scottish Parliament have powers to decide upon.

The make-up of the assembly leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

Why has the magical figure of 25 been decided upon? I would suggest the membership be at least based on the current parliamentary constituencies and any regional members should be additional.

Finally, we are told that if we don't vote Yes, things will stay as they are for years. A No vote should not stop progress in the field of council reorganisation.

Proposed changes to local authority boundaries could still go ahead and discussions could proceed to give real powers and fair representation to assemblies throughout England.

DEREK COOKE Labour Councillor, Stockton

I Thought I was alone in not understanding the issues of the North East Regional Assembly until I watched BBC1's Question Time from Gateshead on TV lately.

The entire audience complained that they knew virtually nothing about the proposed Assembly.

If I have no information, then I shall be forced to vote No.

MARK LEE, Ingleby Barwic

With so many diverse groups often pulling in different directions the need for a regional assembly to provide some sort of strategic overview has never been more pressing.

Generally, I feel the people of the region are in favour of an assembly. However that resolve is in danger of being eroded away by the constant drip, drip of negative comments.

We know it will cost money ? everything costs money. But how much money and jobs have we lost in the past through bad decisions taken by civil servants and quangos with little understanding of the area? Are we happy to let the South-east keep on deciding what that the North-east needs?

Just imagine that for the past ten years Middlesbrough Football Club had not been run by a local man with a passion and enthusiasm for his home team but by a London based businessman with an interest in football. Where would the club be today?

My guess is stagnating in the lower divisions, still having to sell their best players to balance the books.

A regional assembly provides the framework for talented local leaders to confound the critics and begin to realise the area's vast potential.

It will take time and they need more powers to do it. But control of a budget approaching £1bn isn't bad for starters.

PATRICK MALLON, Ingleby Barwick