Interesting information, but after the ignominious failure of Prescott's North East region vote the whole subject of regionalisation is essentially dead for England (excepting maybe the People's Republic of Kernow aka Cornwall).

I've been a fly on the wall (a group I am a member of has facilitated a pretty high-powered Commission considering the subject) in respect of some very interesting stuff re devolution and the future of local government.

Policy focus is turning to the concept (sounds awful) of "Functional Sub-Regionalism".

ie devolution of powers functionally to the lowest possible level and the use of local and regional partnerships of councils etc, not of the bullshit PR version, but actual cooperation in practice.

http://www.actvar.gov.uk/

is one of the best examples of what can be and is increasingly being done.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson