Rural Affairs

Chapter 14: Reviewing progress

14.1. We have set out the future we want to see for our countryside and how we, in conjunction with all the other players, will work to achieve this. We intend to monitor and report on our progress in achieving the objectives we have set. (see introduction para 1.17)

14.2. Tracking progress

14.2.1. We must monitor our progress carefully and review our success to see if further changes are needed. There are a number of important sources of information which will tell us how we are doing including:

  • The annual report of progress against the Public Service Agreement Targets set out in the Spending Review earlier this year and referred to above;
  • The annual report of progress against the 15 headline indicators and selected examples from the 147 ‘Quality of Life' Indicators set out in the UK sustainable development strategy;
  • The annual review of performance against Best Value indicators;
  • Report on MAFF's sustainable agricultural indicators in 2003
  • English Nature's annual State of Wildlife and Natural Features Report and regional biodiversity indicators.

14.2.2. The Countryside Agency's annual State of the Countryside Report brings together a wide variety of information on what is happening in the countryside. To provide an improved summary picture of the outcome of our strategy for the changing countryside we are:

Asking the Countryside Agency to bring together and report on 15 national rural indicators in its annual State of the Countryside Report.

14.2.3. These ‘headline' rural indicators (set out in Table below) will give a broad and balanced overview and will be supplemented by more indicators and information (at national, regional and local level) in the State of the Countryside Report, and the other sources and reports mentioned. The Countryside Agency will work with the Sustainable Development Commission in developing its indicators further and evaluating what they show.

14.3. Evaluation

14.3.1. We are committed to evaluating each of the key policies and programmes within the White Paper over the next 5-10 years in terms of their impact, effectiveness and costs to Government and industry. These include Biodiversity Action Plans and Local Transport Plans.

14.3.2. Results will be made publicly available. Many policies (such as transport) which are nation-wide will nevertheless throw up particular issues for rural areas. In such cases, work will be undertaken to ensure that evaluations of these measures and policies address rural impacts.

14.4. Making sure we keep on the right track

14.4.1. We will make sure the framework set out in this White Paper is implemented across Government:

  • The Cabinet Committee on Rural Affairs will be given a specific remit to monitor the implementation of this White Paper. In doing so, it will seek advice from the Countryside Agency.

  • We will bring together the information from the evaluations and monitoring and publish a comprehensive report on progress of the strategy in 2005.

Overall

14.4.2. We have set targets for indicators five, twelve, and thirteen as part of the Public Service and Service Delivery Agreements; and we have national targets which are relevant to indicators three, six, and seven, which refer to rural areas only. Where specific targets do not exist, our aim is for the indicators to move in the right direction over time. We will review progress and set further targets for specific outcomes in line with the commitments set out in this paper.

Table 14.1: Headline Rural Indicators
What we want to see How we will know
A Living Countryside  
1 Equitable access to services Geographical availability of key services in rural areas: % of households within x km of food shops, post offices, cash points, child nurseries, primary schools, GP surgeries 6
2 Tackling poverty and social exclusion Low income: % of people in rural wards in low income bands 5
3 Better education for all Qualifications of young people in rural areas 5
4 An affordable home Proportion of rural population disadvantaged in access to housing
5 Better rural transport Proportion of households in rural areas within about 10 minutes walk of at least hourly bus service 1
6 Safer communities Recorded crime levels and fear of crime in rural areas 5
A Working Countryside
7 High, stable levels of employment Employment activity rates in rural areas 5 , unemployment rates in rural areas 5
8 Prosperous market towns Proportions of market towns that are thriving, stable or declining (based on service provision, business activity and employment)
9 Thriving rural economies Business health: new business start ups and turnover of businesses in rural areas 5
10 A new future for farming Total Income from farming and off farm Income 2 Agricultural employment (full-time, part-time and seasonal) 2
A Restored Countryside
11 Protecting and enhancing the countryside Change in countryside quality including biodiversity, tranquillity, heritage, and landscape character 6
12 Restoring and maintaining wildlife diversity Populations of farmland birds 4,7 Condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest 3,4
13 Protection of natural resources Rivers of good or fair quality 4 Air quality (low level ozone) in rural areas 5
14 Increase enjoyment of the countryside Numbers of people using the countryside and types of visit; kind of transport; and level and type of spend 6
A Vibrant Countryside
15 Community involvement and activity Community vibrancy: % of parishes in four categories (vibrant, active, barely active, sleeping) assessed on numbers of meeting places, voluntary and cultural activities, contested parish elections
Notes to Table

A. This set of indicators will be derived largely from the existing sources of information and indicators referred to above (para 14.2.1. ). It comprises existing national indicators that are particularly relevant to rural areas (eg populations of farmland birds); indicators looking at the rural part of a national indicator (eg employment levels); and some specific to largely rural issues (eg health of market towns). The Countryside Agency plans to report on most of the indicators in April 2001 but numbers 4, 8, 11 and 15 are still under development.

B. What is taken as the meaning of 'rural' is currently decided separately for each policy heading. This causes difficulty for clear reporting, and for rural proofing. To tackle this, the Performance and Innovation Unit report on Rural Economies recommended that the Countryside Agency, ONS, DETR and MAFF should agree and promote a small set of rural definitions. We are now taking this work forward for both rural and urban definitions and will conclude it by the summer of 2001.
1 DETR Service Delivery Agreement target

2 From MAFF's pilot set of Sustainable Agriculture Indicators A6 and A9

3 DETR Public Service Agreement Target		 4 ‘Quality of Life Counts' Indicator

5 Rural ‘cut' of ‘Quality of Life Counts' Indicator

6 Development of ‘Quality of Life Counts' Indicator		 7 MAFF Public Service Agreement Target

 

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Page last modified: 19 May, 2005
Page published: 28 November, 2000

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs