THE Government insisted today that referendums for the Yorkshire regional assembly will go ahead as planned.
Reports said that two of the three votes planned in English regions were to be postponed.
But the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said that was not the case.
A senior Whitehall source told the BBC the elections in Yorkshire and Humber and the North West - due on November 4 - were thought to be in doubt.
They are the two areas least likely to get a majority in favour of the plans, according to polls.
The other region due to have a referendum is the North East.
But a spokeswoman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said there was no suggestion of a postponement.
She said: "The Government's preparations for referendums for elected regional assemblies are proceeding as planned.
"Orders on the referendums were voted through the House of Commons last night and will be debated in the Lords this morning."
Legislation paving the way for the referendums has to be passed this week if they are to go ahead, but there are concerns over the voting system to be used.
If the legislation clears the Lords, it would mean giving the votes the go-ahead before the Electoral Commission delivers its verdict on the use of all-postal voting in the autumn.
Concerns were raised over fraud in the postal ballot trials in the recent local government elections.
