§ 5. Mr. ColvinTo ask, the President of the Board of Trade what submissions his Department has made for inclusion in the proposed White Paper on the rural economy. [21946]
§ The President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Michael Heseltine)Officials in my Department are in close contact with the White Paper team and have been working with them to ensure that the interests of businesses in rural areas are fully represented.
§ Mr. ColvinDoes my right hon. Friend acknowledge that, although 23 per cent. of our population live in the countryside, only a small proportion work there, and that the more that can be done to encourage jobs alternative to agriculture, the better that is for our transport system and our rural economy as a whole? Will he support the proposal for the rural business unit, which would enable farmers and landowners to lump together for tax purposes 734 not only their farming enterprises but alternative enterprises, which would do a great deal to encourage the alternative industrial use of redundant farm buildings?
§ Mr. HeseltineMy hon. Friend raises a very important point. I am aware of the proposal that has been made by the Country Landowners Association. I can assure him that, in the context of that proposal and of a wide range of other representations to enhance the wealth-creating potential of the countryside, my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are giving the most urgent consideration to those matters.
§ Mr. RendelWill the President of the Board of Trade ensure that the White Paper demonstrates support for tele-cottages in rural areas, especially ones like that recently set up by the Lambourn Valley trade and tourism association in my constituency, with support from the Liberal Democrat-run county and district councils, and will he tell us how many other authorities are supporting tele-cottages at present?
§ Mr. HeseltineI think the hon. Gentleman will recognise that the changing technological capabilities of people to work in outlying areas or at home are well understood by the Government and will play a significant part in the findings of the White Paper.
§ Mr. MacShaneThe President may not be aware that in Rotherham 65 per cent. of the land area is rural and there is a very important small rural economy there, but how can any rural economy function without an efficient network of public transport? Bus deregulation and privatisation have ripped out the heart of bus transport and, if we continue with rail privatisation, there will be no rail transport to keep the rural economies alive.
§ Mr. HeseltineThe hon. Gentleman will know that there has been an improved arrangement and facility for rural buses, and that has been one of the advantages of changes that we have introduced.
§ Mr. Ian BruceDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the Rural Development Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry are doing extremely good work in developing new businesses in the countryside? However, I wonder whether he could do more to ensure that other colleagues in other Departments make sure that we obtain the right planning permission and that we restore the right enterprise culture to the countryside, because that will ensure that we have a growing rural economy rather than a dying one.
§ Mr. HeseltineMy hon. Friend is right to press those arguments. As I said, the two colleagues in the Government who are responsible for that matter are taking the White Paper very seriously.