The minister in charge of local government across the country defended plans to introduce a Yorkshire parliament to the region.

Nick Raynsford MP was in Bradford to defend plans for a Yorkshire and Humber regional assembly saying it would streamline government.

An assembly is expected to contain 25 to 35 elected members controlling a budget of some £570 million

Such a body could raise money through council tax and have responsibilities over planning, housing and economic development. A referendum is set to take place in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and North West in October.

Mr Raynsford was speaking during a visit to the collections and research centre of Bradford's National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.

He hit back at criticisms that the assembly would be yet another tier of bureaucracy and said it would be based on the London model - not the much-criticised Scottish Parlia-ment. He said: "What we would want to see is the Yorkshire Assembly operating in a cost-effective way.

"The budget would be around £25 million for running it and £5 million of that would be a savings transfer from current government offices."

A criticism has been that Bradford's voice would be drowned by the wider region. But Mr Raynsford denied this, saying: "It is exactly the opposite, we have a great deal to gain.

"There is an enormous opportunity here to achieve economic development for the whole future of Bradford and continue the good work being done here.

"The regional assembly would have levers to help bring in new investment and jobs, it would link culture with industry, with the assistance of bodies like Yorkshire Forward.

"At the moment a lot of things are decided at a regional level but not by the people of Yorkshire."

However Bradford businessman John Watson who is leading a campaign for a "no" vote, remained sceptical: "I am always reasonable and if what was on offer was really devolution like in Scotland there would be a case to answer.

"But on a devolution scale of nought to ten, where Scotland is 10, Wales is six and London is four, what we are being offered here is 2.5."