Breadcrumbs
First annual report assesses Whitehall's progress on 'thinking rural' - 11 April 2002
Launching the report, Countryside Agency chairman and rural advocate Ewen Cameron said: "It was a bold move by the Government to commit itself to rural proof its own policy making. In our first annual report on how well it is doing in putting the needs of the countryside at the heart of Whitehall, most Departments have put the basic building blocks in place for rural proofing, and half are doing more. If rural proofing is to be a systematic part of policy making, as promised in the Rural White Paper, all departments should aspire to the standards of the best.
"We know it can be done. The Sure Start initiative for under-fours has shown promising results. But, I am convinced that policy makers generally need to do more to give sufficient thought to the impact on the countryside, and the people who live there. This does not mean they need to develop specific policies for rural areas. It means ensuring that mainstream policies for health, education, crime, transport and the rest are designed to meet the needs of rural people as much as those of urban dwellers. I have seen little sign of a fundamental shift in departmental policies. Some important parts of Government, such as those dealing with social exclusion, have a long way to go before they can convince me that they are fully reflecting the needs of rural people.
" More than one in five people live in rural England. On my visits around the country, people tell me they are worried about the lack of affordable housing, continuing post office closures, problems accessing the doctor or dentist, difficulties with public transport, bureaucratic red tape faced by rural entrepreneurs and communities, and magistrates' courts closures.
"Dealing with the impact of foot and mouth was, understandably, a top priority during the last year. If real results are to be achieved in future, rural proofing must become automatic. Only
then we shall start to see outcomes in the shape of service delivery that meets the needs of rural people."
Mr Cameron urged policy makers to ensure rural proofing becomes routine and much more effective in the coming year. I want to see tangible outcomes and benefits to rural people."
He outlined priorities for rural proofing by policy makers in the months ahead, such as:
- securing clear rural targets and priorities from the Government's 2002 Spending Review;
- a local authority funding system which, as a result of the current review, reflects the particular needs and costs of delivering basic services in rural areas;
- the proposed reforms to the planning system delivering more affordable housing in rural areas;
- the roll-out of policies for broadband ICT reaching rural businesses and people
Rural Proofing in 2001/02 - A report to Government by the Countryside Agency is available on our web site at www.countryside.gov.uk/ruralproofing/report.htm or free (ref CA107) from Countryside Agency Publications, P.O. Box 125, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7EP
Tel: 0870 120 6466.
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Note to editors
The commitment in the Government's Rural White Paper 'Our Countryside: The Future - A fair deal for rural England' ( DETR & MAFF 2000) to "think rural" when developing its policies and programmes, marked a decisive break with the past. It made clear that policy makers in central government should identify the impact of their proposals on rural areas and, where relevant, adjust their policy or adopt specific measures to address any issues arising from them. In the interests of independence and transparency, the Countryside Agency was asked by Government to monitor and report annually on the rural aspects of the Government's policies and especially on its "rural proofing". Rural Proofing in 2001/02 is the first report published by the Countryside Agency and, as such, provides a benchmark, establishing the starting point, as well as recording early progress.
Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency since April 1999, was appointed Rural Advocate
by the Government in November 2000 to argue the case on countryside issues and for rural people at the highest levels in Government and outside.
The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising Government and taking action on the social, economic and environmental well-being of the English countryside. 10/2002
