DEVOLUTION for the North-East could be scrapped if voter turnout in the referendum is derisory, the Government has admitted.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will decide next month which regions are to be allowed to hold referendums on setting up their own London-style "mini-Parliaments".

It is widely expected the North-East will be allowed to go in the first wave.

But fears have been raised about a poor turnout - particularly after this month's local elections - not giving any elected assembly legitimacy.

The Confederation of British Industry has called for there to be a threshold for a "yes" vote to count.

Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford, in charge of the day-to-day mechanics of setting up the assemblies, appeared to back their call.

"If the result is derisory, then we will not be bound to proceed - even if there is a majority in favour," he said.

When Scotland first voted on devolution in 1979, though a majority voted "yes", the turnout was below the threshold set by the Government.

North-East Labour MP Joyce Quin, who has long campaigned for an elected regional assembly, agreed that if the figure was too low then the plans should be abandoned.

"I don't have a personal view of what would be derisory, but it's important there's an active campaign on both sides and modern methods of voting," she said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Prescott's department would not reveal what turnout figure would cause the vote to be disallowed.

But she explained that a referendum vote was not legally binding and so could be ignored if an overwhelming majority of voters stayed at home.

"We are aware that we have to do an awful lot to do to get the debate going and to get people interested in the subject," she said.