§ Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definitions of(a) rural and (b) urban are used by her Department. [51657]
§ Alan Johnson[holding answer 22 April 2002]: My Department currently uses the broad definitions contained in the Rural and Urban White Papers. However, the Government recognises that there is a need for a more co-ordinated and consistent approach to the categorisation and use of definitions of urban and rural areas. For that reason DEFRA, DTLR, the Countryside Agency and the Office for National Statistics are working together towards a better set of definitions.