Countryside Policy (Hansard, 5 April 2000)

§ 1. Mr. Jim Dobbin (Heywood and Middleton)
What progress is being made in developing a cross-departmental policy for the countryside.[116384]

§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Marjorie Mowlam)
The Government's countryside policy will be set out in detail in the rural White Paper to be published later this year.

§ Mr. Dobbin
I thank my right hon. Friend for that response. I recognise the positive steps proposed in the Government's legislation to improve access to the countryside for the public and at the same time to protect existing rural amenities. Will my right hon. Friend endeavour to encourage Departments to recognise and support the constructive and helpful contribution made by farming and other rural industries to that process?

§ Marjorie Mowlam
I thank my hon. Friend. We will do exactly that. In preparation for the completion of the rural White Paper, we are trying to ensure that all Departments are signed up to the parts that they will implement. The Ministerial Committee on Rural Affairs, which I Chair, will ensure that all Departments think in terms not just of the rural White Paper, but of other legislation with a rural dimension. As a result, I hope that farming families, who have faced many serious difficulties, will be helped by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's £200 million package—and he met them last week. Efforts are also being made to help people in rural communities to diversify economically and to give them a broader base from which to work.

§ Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth)
Does the right hon. Lady accept that one of the problems of the countryside 958 is that younger people often feel that they have very little to do? When she holds the discussions with other Departments, will she bear in mind that recreation facilities are very important in rural areas and that there is a feeling—certainly in my constituency—that there are not enough of them?

§ Marjorie Mowlam
I welcome the hon. Gentleman's contribution. Our policies, such as the new deal in rural communities, aim to find work for young and older people. Work is the first priority for young people.
The hon. Gentleman made a specific point about leisure amenities. One of the advantages of the Committee that I Chair is that it receives representations across Departments. As a result, we can deal with the difficulties of education, leisure and unemployment that young people face. I hope that we can have a bigger impact on rural communities and on the difficulties that many of them face.

§ Mr. Mark Todd (South Derbyshire)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the critical issues in putting together the rural White Paper is to provide one-stop advice for farmers seeking to diversify and enhance their businesses in various ways? That means providing access to the range of advice services that are available, including those on the resolution of planning issues that are often identified as being of critical importance in rural areas.

§ Marjorie Mowlam
Yes is the short answer. We are not just considering planning issues, but, when we consulted in rural areas, planning came top of the list for many people. We are considering how we can simplify the planning system and make it a quicker process so that it does not hold-up developments. However, as with any other policy, we have to make a judgment. We have to do what we can to speed up and simplify the system so that it is easier for people to use. However, at the same time, we must not affect the beauty of rural communities and we must do all that we can to protect the countryside. It is not a zero-sum game; we can have a win-win situation, as we have with rural housing policy where we are primarily considering brownfield sites for developments. Benefits can be obtained for all sides.
We are also considering one-stop advice. At the risk of raising a tendentious and difficult issue, I point out that we have already begun to help the rural post offices that are in difficulty. We have begun to provide money for information technology through the Horizon project and we already offer them 50 per cent. rate relief. In addition, I hope that one-stop shops, alongside existing provision, will provide a better service to people in such communities.

§ Mr. Colin Breed (South-East Cornwall)
Now that the Food Standards Agency has been established, will the right hon. Lady tell the House whether any consideration has been given to moving countryside and rural issues to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food so as to create an enhanced ministry of rural affairs and agriculture?

§ Marjorie Mowlam
Such structural change would be carried out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. With the Food Standards Agency, we have set up an independent body that is not a part of the Ministry of 959 Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The people to whom I have spoken want an independent body that is made up of experts from across the board. There is no scientific agreement on many issues, genetic modification being a prime example. The agency contains representatives from the community and from different scientific perspectives. It will provide advice and information and will produce reports. I am not sure that making it a part of MAFF would help the community response to the issues that affect rural areas.