§ 23. Mr. DoverTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards encouraging rural development; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HanleyFollowing the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Development in 1991 an independent Rural Development Council, representing a wide spectrum of rural interests has been established to provide advice and resources to rural communities to help them develop multi-sectoral regeneration plans for their local areas.
607WWithin the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland a rural development policy division has also been set up and three rural development area co-ordinators at senior level have been appointed to provide integrated statutory responses to local community plans.