Countryside Agency Archive
Breadcrumbs
Cabinet Office report to the Prime Minister on rural Britain (Sharing the Nation's Prosperity)
The government's official countryside adviser today filled in some of the more telling details about rural life. Commenting on the Cabinet Office report to the Prime Minister on rural Britain (Sharing the Nation's Prosperity) published today (3 Feb), Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said: " I welcome the latest overview. But prosperity in the countryside is not universal," he warned. "Any average picture given of rural areas masks the real disadvantage suffered by many of those who live in the countryside, and not just farmers."
Welcoming the Prime Minister's visit to the West Country today,
Ewen Cameron paid credit to the Government for encouraging an open
debate about rural issues. We have seen a nationwide consultation
about a Rural White Paper. The Prime Minister himself commissioned
the most radical government review of countryside policy for 50
years, published last December. "This latest report highlights the need to build policies on facts. It is a complex picture. The overall impression that life in the countryside is rosy for everyone but a few farmers ignores the disparities in many areas. Some parts of rural England are suffering the problems of industrial decline but, even in more prosperous areas, there is affluence and poverty living side by side. Average national statistics wash over the reality of life for many rural people.
"The countryside is facing tremendous economic, social and environmental pressures and access to essential services, homes and jobs is increasingly difficult. Rural people's concerns are no different from urban worries about health, education, housing, transport and jobs. We at the Countryside Agency are working with government to ensure that rural people and businesses get a clear statement of the services they can expect from the public and private sector."
Mr Cameron pointed out that, despite the prosperity enjoyed by many, there was evidence which showed:Fact: rural unemployment and under-employment - a higher proportion of rural people are dependent on part-time work (26.4%) and seasonal jobs. Fact: low prosperity - seven out of ten counties with GDP below the national average are predominantly rural Cornwall lowest GDP per head at £70.20 UK=100) Fact: car ownership essential - rural people often have no choice of public transport. They have to run cars with all the costs entailed. Low income rural households are twice as likely to run a car as similar urban households. Fact: the rural economy does suffer from the decline in agriculture - less prosperity in farming means less spend and jobs in the wider economy from small mechanics to builders.
