The Conservatives have slammed the government's plans for regional assemblies as costly and irrelevant.

The attack comes as a committee examining boundaries releases its proposals for restructuring local government to pave the way for regional devolution.

Shadow local government secretary David Curry said the committee's options showed that the regions would be getting "a local government re-organisation that is unnecessary, unwanted, and above all expensive".

Curry said that regional assemblies would mean "more politicians, more bureaucrats and more tax rises".

"Regional assemblies are an irrelevant diversion from the real problems impacting on the people of the North and Yorkshire and the Humber," he said.

"We won't get one extra teacher, nurse or police officer but Labour will be delivering full employment for a tranche of wannabe regional Labour politicians."

The opposition has slammed the government for failing to bring forward legislation in the Queen's Speech listing the powers of proposed assemblies.

Curry claimed ministers were still at odds over the precise powers of the assemblies.

"We can be sure of one thing, this restructure and these assemblies will cost the taxpayer dearly," he said.

"We have the London assembly costing taxpayer five times the amount promised originally by Labour with taxpayers shelling out an extra £224 on top of council tax bills.

While in Scotland the cost of the parliament has soared from Labour's promise of £40 million to over £400 million and counting."