🌿 Public Services: Rural Areas

• Introduction of the Debate: David Smith, MP for North Northumberland, led the first Adjournment debate on access to public services in rural areas, highlighting the case for the countryside.

• Significance of Rural Areas: The debate underscored the importance of rural communities to the national economy and culture, emphasizing their role in food production, preservation of landscapes, and community values.

• Challenges in Rural Public Services:
  • Transport: Highlighted as a fundamental issue, with rural areas spending significantly less on bus services and facing challenges such as long travel distances and inadequate cross-border services. Examples included the need for better bus services and the potential benefits of a publicly controlled system.
  • Education: Rural areas face a decline in educational opportunities, particularly in secondary and further education. The example of Berwick needing a new educational campus was cited, alongside challenges in accessing special educational needs (SEN) provision.
  • Healthcare: Access to healthcare in rural areas is limited, with issues such as the lack of local doctors, high travel times to A&E departments, and sparse dental care. Suggestions included incentivizing healthcare professionals to work in rural areas.
  • Digital Connectivity: Many rural, especially ultra-rural, areas lack basic connectivity like mobile signal, broadband, and even electricity and gas. The importance of initiatives like the shared rural network and Project Gigabit was highlighted.

• Funding Disparities: There is a noted disparity in council tax and government spending power between rural and urban areas, which impacts the delivery of public services in rural regions.

• Cross-Government Approach: The need for a collective approach across different government departments to address rural issues was emphasized, rather than leaving it solely to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

• Community Initiatives: Examples of community-led solutions in rural areas were shared, such as community land trusts for housing and volunteer-run bus services, showing resilience and innovation in the face of government challenges.

• Legislative and Policy Responses: The government’s commitment to improving rural services through initiatives like the Bus Services Bill, Project Gigabit, and Great British Energy was discussed, aimed at enhancing transport, digital access, and energy security.

• Environmental and Economic Development: Rural areas are seen as crucial for environmental and economic advancement, with opportunities in renewable energy and community-owned projects.

• Rural Crime and Quality of Life: The debate touched on issues like fly-tipping, which severely impacts rural communities’ quality of life, and the need for a stronger police response to such crimes.

• Commitment to Rural Areas: The government expressed a commitment to ensuring rural communities are not left behind, emphasizing the need for targeted support and resources to meet their unique needs.

The disagreement level in the session was very low, warranting a rating of 1. Throughout the debate, there was an overarching theme of consensus and support for the improvement of public services in rural areas. MPs across parties and constituencies, including Labour, Liberal Democrats, and even a DUP member, demonstrated a unified stance on the importance of addressing rural issues.

Key examples of this consensus include:

1. David Smith’s Opening - The leading speaker underscored the need for better support for rural communities, setting a tone of advocacy rather than dispute.

2. Interventions by Other MPs - Interventions from MPs like Emma Foody (Lab/Co-op), Sir John Hayes (Con), and Sarah Dyke (LD) complemented David Smith’s points, with MPs agreeing on the need for better funding formulas, improved transport, and additional support for rural communities. They reinforced the main message rather than challenging it.

3. Joe Morris’s Agreement - In his intervention, Joe Morris (Lab) directly agreed with David Smith, expressing frustration over similar rural service issues and committing to work together.

4. Speeches by Dave Robertson, Adam Jogee, and Sean Woodcock - These MPs further supported the initial argument made by David Smith, expressing widespread support and frustration with the current state of rural public services, without any notable disagreement.

5. Minister’s Response - Daniel Zeichner, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, responded positively to the debate, affirming the government’s commitment to improving rural public services and addressing the points raised without opposition.

Although there were some broad criticisms of past government policies (like the mention of 14 years of under-investment and Brexit impacts by Sean Woodcock) and local council handling (e.g., from Adam Jogee about the Conservative-led borough council), these were more rhetorical and did not result in contention or counter-arguments within the debate. The interventions and speeches reinforced rather than contradicted each other, thus keeping the disagreement level very low.