CAMPAIGNING East Lancashire MP Gordon Prentice was today "disappointed" the Government was refusing to put a minimum threshold on the number of electors required to vote in a referendum on Regional Assemblies.

The Pendle Labour MP recently introduced a Private Members Bill saying that at least 50 per cent of registered voters should turn out before a regional assembly could be set up.

He believes if less than half of North West voters can be bothered to go to the polling station, any result should be invalid.

But this week he tackled Leader of the Commons Peter Hain - who was the man in charge of the campaign for a Welsh Assembly where just 51 per cent turn out to vote for a narrow victory.

He asked the Cabinet minister: "We are promised referendums in October. Would it not be a disgrace if they were carried out on a tiny turnout?

"Will you give a commitment on my Private Members Bill which sets a 50 per cent threshold on turn out for the result of a referendum to be validated - not to try to derail it when it comes to the House on February 27?"

But Mr Hain rejected the idea saying the proposals to hold all postal ballots for regional assembly, local and Euro elections currently stalled in the House of Lords should tackle theproblem.

He told Mr Prentice: "I am not impressed by devices such as that. A vote takes place democratically: people choose whether to vote and we must respect the outcome.

"What we have done and are doing, including in the North West of England, is to hold all postal vote ballots, which give electors the opportunity to vote in comfort and at their convenience, and I hope it will boost turn out.

"To the extend that I agree with your point, the greater the turn out, the more legitimately the outcome, whether at a general election or a referendum.

"However, it should not be done by imposing an artificial threshold."

Mr Prentice said: "I am disappointed at his reply. In Scotland there was a turn out of 60 per cent to set up the Scottish Parliament, in Wales 51 per cent for the Cardiff Assembly and in London just 36 per cent for their assembly.

"If we are going to turn the constitution upside down, at least half of those registered to vote should cast their ballot in the referendum before we take any measures to do so."