HC Deb 09 March 1994 vol 239 cc297-9W
Mr. Ainger

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list projects and programmes designed to benefit rural areas which involved co-operation between the Rural Development Commission and(a) the Countryside Commission, (b) the Department of Employment and (c) the English training and enterprise councils in each of the last five years.

Mr. Atkins

The Rural Development Commission, together with the Countryside Commission and English Nature, jointly fund the rural action programme which was introduced in 1992 and is aimed at helping people in rural communities take action to protect and improve their local environment. The rural action programme will support nearly 400 projects in 1993–94. There are no formal joint programmes which are operated by the Rural Development Commission and the Department of Employment or the English TECs, but the commission operates a training and enterprise fund which provides support for training and economic development projects, often jointly with TECs. In the rural development areas the commisson provides funding for a wide range of economic and social projects in partnership with a number of other bodies including the Countryside Commission and TECs.

Mr. Ainger

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the policy documents, publications and consultation documents which set out the policy proposals of the Rural Development Commission produced in the last 10 years.

Mr. Atkins

The Rural Development Commission has published a number of policy documents over the last 10 years which could only be listed at disproportionate cost. The commission publishes an annual report and corporate plan each year. The most recent documents published which set out the policy proposals are:

Policy Documents

  1. (1) "Rural Development Strategy for the 1990s"—first published in December 1993.
  2. (2) "The Future of the Rural Development Programme Process"—December 1993.
  3. (3)"Rural Development Areas"—December 1993.
  4. (4) "The Rural Housing Problem"—November 1993.
  5. (5) "Village Shops—A Report on Community Action"—July 1993.
  6. (6) "Rural Strategies—Advice from the Countryside Commission, English Nature and the Rural Development Commission"—November 1992.
  7. (7) "Countryside Employment Programme"—May 1992.
  8. (8) "Tourism in the Countryside"—February 1992.

Consultation Documents

  • "Meeting the Challenge of Agricultural Adjustment"—July 1991.
  • "Review of the Rural Development Commission's Priority Areas"—June 1992.

In addition, the commission has published a number of research reports on policy issues. The most recent are:

  1. (1) "Homelessness in Rural Areas"—March 1992 and February 1994.
  2. (2) "Rural Transport Problems and Needs"—June 1993.
  3. (3) "An Evaluation of the Housing Corporation Rural Programme"—November 1993.
  4. (4) "Rural Development and Strategy Planning"—November 1993.

Mr. Ainger

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the publications giving details of partnership programmes between the Rural Development Commission and the(a) Countryside Council, (b) Department of Employment and (c) English training and enterprise councils in which the voluntary sector can participate.

Mr. Atkins

The only programme operated jointly by the Rural Development Commission and the Countryside Commission is the rural action programme, funded by the Royal Development Commission, the Countryside Commission and English Nature. The programme is managed by Action with Communities in Rural England. The publications detailing the scheme are:

  • "Rural Action for the Environment—An Introduction"—available from ACRE.
  • "Rural Action for the Environment—A New Way of Working"—available from ACRE.

There are no partnership programmes run with the Department of Employment and TECS. The commission has, however, collaborated with the Countryside Commission and TECs, as well as other bodies, on a range of publications to assist development in the rural areas.