Speech by Barry Gardiner MP at launch of Commission for Rural Communities report - 'Rural Disadvantages - Priorities for Action', Cabinet War Rooms, London - 12 June 2006
I welcome the report’s focus on practical priorities for action. It is an example of the value which the CRC brings to our ongoing consideration of rural issues.
One of the CRC's strengths is in being able to face both ways, listening to rural people on the one hand, and presenting rural people's views and concerns to Government and stakeholders on the other.
I am delighted that Phil Woolas, Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion is here and very much welcome his interest and support in this area.
The Government as a whole is working to tackle social exclusion and create equality of opportunity and it is in this context - as Phil notes - that Social Justice for All is at the heart of Defra’s Rural Strategy.
So I have been encouraged in picking up my Rural Affairs portfolio to find an energetic public debate taking place on the rural agenda. But the truth is that over the last four weeks, there has not been a day when a new report has not landed on my desk. There really is a focus with different agencies coming together over these issues.
As Stuart has said there is significant momentum behind this issue at the present moment with reports from the Carnegie Commission for Rural Community Development, the Institute of Public Policy Research, the Affordable Rural Housing Commission all published over the past few weeks. It is something that is really happening now.
This feels to me like a mature and intelligent debate about how we create an inclusive society in which nobody is disadvantaged because of where they live or their background.
Of course, the CRC are right to point to the challenges involved. We do not pretend that delivering effective policies to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged residents within rural communities is in anyway a simple task.
As I said, important progress has been made in the establishment of the rural definition as a national statistic. I share in the CRC’s eagerness to see this adopted across Government at all levels. We should perhaps remember that the rural definition is a relatively new tool – just two years old – this is recent in the context of many national datasets which are collected annually. We have to continue to work closely with colleagues in DWP and across Whitehall to maximize use of the rural definition wherever that’s appropriate - and are seeing good progress in this area. And I’m sure that this will continue.
There is, of course much that can be done to improve the collection and use of data across Government – for the benefit of both rural and urban communities.
And we need this evidence to show what is working well – as well as what is not working in rural areas.
Because it seems to me that rural areas present real opportunities as well as challenges. Quality of life - for the majority - in rural areas is often relatively high, not just in the material sense, but also in the context of community spirit and social capital.
Evidence shows that rural residents are most likely to see their neighbours as a source of help and support and are less prone to problems relating to anti-social behavior. So there are strong indications of a higher incidence of voluntary and community activity in rural areas.
The key issue I think for all of us is how we can capitalise on that.
The report offers a valuable reminder that we must beware of oversimplifying the complex reality of rural areas.
We must not loose sight of the fact that, whilst many rural communities display signs of strong cohesion, they have notable levels of social isolation amongst vulnerable groups. And, while many people living in rural areas are thriving - both socially and economically, there are significant numbers of disadvantaged rural residents.
One of the most striking pieces of evidence in this report is the fact that 42% of rural residents surveyed were unaware of any disadvantage in their communities. The myth of the rural idyll, it seems, is alive and well actually in some rural communities as much as it is outside of it.
So I do endorse the CRC’s finding that we must raise the awareness of rural disadvantage. There is much to be gained by finding innovative ways to engage active rural communities in targeting real local needs.
This is in line with Defra’s policy of building on and sustaining existing community ties by working through the voluntary and parish councils sectors and seeking opportunities to build the capacity of rural communities to meet their own needs where possible.
Of course we need too to raise awareness of rural disadvantage across Whitehall. We know, for example, that 18% of children in poverty live in a rural area and so we know, that if we are to meet the Government target of eradicating child poverty in Britain within a generation (by 2020) - we will need to ensure that mechanisms to tackle child poverty are delivering effectively in rural areas.
Similarly, we know that 29% of pensioners in poverty live in a rural area and that rural populations are aging at a faster rate than the national average. So my officials have been working closely with colleagues in DWP on their Opportunity Age and LinkAge Strategies, ensuring, for example, that an appropriate number of LinkAge Plus pilots will be delivered in rural areas.
As the CRC report highlights - in many rural areas housing is unaffordable to people on low and even modest incomes. This is why last year we established the Affordable Rural Housing Commission to look at the challenges of housing affordability in rural areas. Supported jointly by Defra and DCLG and engaging with policy makers and deliverers at national, regional and local levels; the Affordable Rural Housing Commission is a good example of the kinds of joined up working required to ensure that national activities meet rural needs.
The issues affecting rural communities are complex and reflect the changes taking place within society. The trends are - of ageing, of growing rural populations, of more IT service delivery, of more choice and mobility but also more isolation and more car dependency.
We know that these factors can have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable groups in rural areas. And that’s what has shaped our agenda of more affordable housing, tackling rural service delivery; addressing disadvantage in rural areas and supporting rural economies.
I look forward to working with the Commission for Rural Communities and with colleagues across Government to ensure our efforts to secure social justice reach everyone regardless of geography, regardless of background. And that we must ensure rural communities are not just tacked on at the end of policy making. But that it is part of the thinking. So thanks for an excellent report.
Page published: 14 June 2006