§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the extra cost of providing public services in rural areas in England compared to urban areas. [HL4170]
§ Lord WhittyThere are a variety of factors which influence the cost of delivery of public services in different parts of England. These factors differ according to the nature of the service. In allocating resources, individual departments and service providers take account of the relative costs of delivery and other relevant factors. These may include specifically rural factors (such as sparsity of population) as well as measures of relative need and differing labour costs.
No overall assessment has been made of the different costs of providing public services in rural areas in England compared to urban areas.