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Rural economy and businesses
In the summer of 2007, the Prime Minister asked Stuart Burgess, the Rural Advocate, to undertake an analysis of the impact of flooding and foot and mouth disease on the rural economy and to advise on how rural economies might be further strengthened. His report, published in June 2008, set out a package of proposals to improve support for people and enterprises in rural areas to help them realise their potential.
That Government response was published on 5 February 2009. It took issue with some of the more ambitious assertions in the report but agreed that rural areas already make an important economic contribution - more so that has perhaps been historically recognised; that the best way to support and enhance this contribution is to recognise the dynamic, diverse nature of economic activity in rural areas and to avoid out-dated assumptions about the nature of rural businesses; and that In recognising rural areas as places of economic opportunity, we also need to recognise that they can provide a range of public goods over and above their economic contribution which need to be protected.
Page last modified: 16 September 2009
Page published: 16 September 2009