§ The Earl of Arranasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will respond to the House of Commons Environment Select Committee's Third Report, Rural England: The Rural White Paper.
Earl FerrersOur response is being published today.
We welcome the committee's report as a contribution to the continuing debate about the future of rural areas in England. The response gives our considered reaction to the recommendations which were made in the report.
We agree with the committee that targets are important and we shall continue our efforts to develop targets in support of rural policies. We will produce a report later this year on the progress we have made in achieving the White Paper's commitments and we shall continue to monitor the report on progress annually.