320 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

At the same time, there is the growing importance of Town and
Country Planning, and conflict of authorities has already shown
itself as a hindrance to this service. One solution proposed is the
division of Britain into a dozen, or a score of Regions, which might
supersede and inherit the functions of the Counties. They could
become the authorities for planning, highways, water and other
public utilities, public assistance, and some of the health services.
Local independence would not then involve the danger of neglect1
because authorities were too small, too poor, or unable to employ
a sufficiently talented staff. Opposition might be expected from
County Boroughs whose independence would necessarily be
diminished. If however, the Region could attract sufficient loyalty
and interest, its size would enable it to perform services with
more efficiency than is obtained at present. It is not likely that
any wholesale reorganisation of local Government on these lines
will be made in the near future; much recent legislation is based
on the assumption that the present authorities will continue to
exist for a good many years. Here, however, the possibility of
making local experiments may pi\*ye useful. Because the Tyne-
side district is a Distressed Area, attention is called to the fact
that although it is in reality one great town it falls into fourteen
local Government divisions; two are County Boroughs, and of
the rest, some are under the Northumberland, others under the
Durham County Council. A Royal Commission was appointed
to consider the problem. Its members were all agreed that
Tyneside should become a single County Borough; and the
majority recommended that this new city should, together with
the rest of Northumberland, form a Region, To this the advocates
of Regionalism objected that the proposed Region was far too
small. If Tyneside did not enjoy considerable independence, the ,
advantage of creating a single city would disappear; but if it did,
it would overshadow and impoverish the rest of the Region.
There would, however, be a place for Tyneside in a larger
Region, perhaps including the four northernmost counties of
England. It does appear that Regionalism is a project to be kept