10/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The British Conservatives in the European Parliament denounced a plan by the Tony Blair government aiming to provide more powers to the English regions and to gve them small parliamentary assemblies. For the European parliamentarian Philip Bradbourn, this plan "is about breaking the United Kingdom up into administrative units as set out by bureacrats in Brussels". On Thursday, the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, presented a White Paper proposing for the English regions to follow, to a certain extent, the example of Scotland and Wales. An assembly of 25 to 30 members per region would be provided with powers over the economy, employment, transport and health, while the local councils will continue to deal with social services, education and other local services. The northern region of England could act as a pilot region. "For years now, maps of the EU have ceased to show England and have instead shown these regions", and the European Commisison White Paper on governance "laid out a blueprint for a Europe of the regions, with nation states like the United Kingdom relegated to the sidelines", says Philip Bradbourn.