HC Deb 16 May 2002 vol 385 cc811-2W
12. Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the categorisation of the activity of parish councils as set out in the recent rural White Paper and the Countryside Agency's "State of the Countryside" report 2001. [55125]

Alun Michael

I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 21 March to all MPs which set out the background to the communities' vibrancy issue and made clear that the communities' vibrancy indicator is not a measure of parish council activities. This Government are breaking new ground in actively promoting the role and importance of parish councils and I hope the hon. Gentleman will endorse and support our initiatives.