§ Lord Pattenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which Cabinet committees and government policy and advisory units or bodies have consideration of rural poverty specifically within their remit. [HL5799]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)The Government are committed to reducing poverty in both rural and urban areas.
Besides the Government's general anti-poverty policies, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has an objective to enhance opportunity and tackle social exclusion in rural areas. The Government's recent spending review also set a PSA target to reduce the gap in productivity between the least well-performing quartile of rural areas and the English median by 2006, and to improve the accessibility of services for rural people. It is the Government's objective to cater for the needs of individuals, families and communities in both rural and urban areas.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Renewal (DA(RR)) has a remit to oversee the development and implementation of the Government's policies on the rural economy and rural communities, while the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Exclusion and Regeneration (DA(SER)) has a remit to oversee the development and implementation of the Government's policies on social exclusion, neighbourhood renewal, and area-based initiatives.
The Countryside Agency is a statutory body which has within its remit the responsibility to conserve and enhance the countryside and to promote social equity and economic opportunity for the people who live there.
§ Lord Pattenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What policy initiatives they have taken since 1997 to alleviate rural poverty in England and Wales. [HL5800]
§ Lord WhittyPolicy towards rural poverty is a part of the Government's overall strategy to tackle deprivation and social exclusion and deliver high quality services for everyone. Initiatives to tackle poverty, deprivation and social exclusion, such as the Connexions service or Sure Start, are piloted in rural as well as urban areas so that in developing policies and disseminating best practice, rural impacts are fully taken into account.
It must be pointed out that poverty levels are generally lower in rural areas and tend to be hidden within largely prosperous areas. This makes it difficult 86WA to quantify and target those who need help. Defra is undertaking work on this with partners.
The Government have introduced a series of initiatives specifically to develop rural areas with a dynamic and inclusive economy, strong rural communities and fair access to services:
- (i) A new policy framework to provide a fair deal on services, help in regenerating the rural economy, and a strong voice for rural communities, set out in the Rural White Paper, accompanied by £1 billion of additional funding in 2001–04 and underpinned by Defra's target for increased productivity and improved access to vital public services for all rural people.
- (ii) Increased opportunities for access and enjoyment of the countryside through a comprehensive overhaul of legislation on access, rights of way and protection of biodiversity set out in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
- (iii) Creation of the role of Rural Advocate—currently Ewen Cameron, also Chairman of the Countryside Agency—who attends meetings of the new Cabinet sub-committee and acts as a voice for rural concerns within and outside government.
- (iv) Setting up the Rural Affairs Forum for England to ensure that key rural stakeholders are involved throughout the policy-making process.
The £1.6 billion, seven-year England Rural Development Programme to help fanners and other rural businesses diversify and obtain support for conserving and enhancing the countryside contributes to the same objective.