1.Introduction
1. In June 2001 the Government set up the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and in doing so
established, for the first time in England, a government department
with specific overall responsibility for rural affairs. The aims
and objectives of the new department, published at the time of
its creation, made it clear that its remit included acting as
the leading voice in government on rural areas. One of the new
Department's early key tasks was "to set the future direction
of the rural economy by working with partners and stakeholders
at the national, regional and local levels to implement the policies
set out in the Rural White Paper and to ensure their further development".[1]
2. As the Select Committee charged with scrutinising
the performance of Defra, we are `keen to examine the extent to
which it truly is a department for rural affairs. In doing so,
we seek to examine the way Defra represents rural areas within
government and facilitates effective policy-making. We therefore
decided to embark on a series of inquiries that focus on subjects
which, though not necessarily within the main policy remit of
Defra, highlight particular issues for rural areas; issues where
we might expect a department for rural affairs to ensure rural
interests are taken into account by other policy-making departments,
or to offer direct policy solutions.
3. We decided that our first inquiry into Defra's
rural affairs remit would be on the delivery of education in rural
areas.[2]
In December 2002, we therefore appointed a Sub-committee to carry
out an inquiry within the following terms of reference:
"The Committee will examine the role played
by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
in addressing the particular difficulties of meeting educational
needs in rural areas. Amongst other matters it will look at:
- the structures and arrangements put in place
by Defra to ensure that the needs of rural areas are taken into
account in decisions relating to schools made by the Department
for Education and Skills and by local authorities; and the effectiveness
of 'rural proofing' education policy;
- more specifically, progress in implementing the
provisions of the Rural White Paper relating to Supporting
local schools; and progress in ensuring that rural schools
remain open and able to deliver high quality education; and
- what is best practice both in this country and
abroad."[3]
4. We held three oral evidence sessions including
one with Ministers from Defra and the DfES. In addition we received
written memoranda from 22 different organisations including 13
local education authorities. We are most grateful to all those
who have helped us with our inquiry.
5. In embarking on our inquiry we recognised that
the wide and varied nature of education policy required us to
be selective in determining the areas on which we could focus.
It would clearly have been impractical for us to try to consider
the impact in rural areas of each of the many initiatives adopted
by DfES. We therefore decided to concentrate on those issues which
impact on a range of education providers offering services to
students of all ages. For example, issues around transport to
and from education establishments were brought up by respondents
from the further education sector and the school sector. We also
sought to concentrate on those issues where we would expect a
department for rural affairs to play a constructive role and to
ensure that the particular needs of rural areas are given sufficient
weight.
6. We fully endorse the Rural Affairs Minister's
comment in his evidence to us that Defra "is not there to
second-guess or act as a second Education Department".[4]
This does, however, raise questions about what Defra's role is
in relation to rural education: how its performance is measured;
how effectively it is fulfilling its role; and what this tells
us about Defra as a department for rural affairs. In the context
of the issues which we identified as of particular importance
to education providers in rural areas, it is these questions that
our inquiry sought to address.
7. The first part of this report summarises Defra's
statements about its role in rural education. It goes on to examine
what we considered were the key issues: transport provision; information
and communications technology; supporting local schools; further
education and training; and rural proofing and joined-up government.
Where appropriate, we make recommendations which we believe would
help Defra make a constructive and appropriate contribution to
the delivery of education in rural areas. We conclude by making
some general comments on the role of Defra in the delivery of
education and more broadly on its rural affairs remit.
How does Defra define its role?
8. The policies announced in the Rural White Paper,
and the subsequently published Public Service Agreement under
which Defra operates, set out the Department's role in the delivery
of education in rural areas. The Rural White Paper establishes
standards for the delivery of public services in rural areas and
describes initiatives designed to enable these standards to be
met.[5]
Specifically, it commits the Government to ensuring "that
people of all ages living in rural areas have full access to the
range of opportunities available and that obstacles to access
are addressed".[6]
In order to maintain rural schools providing high quality education,
the White Paper goes on to describe proposals under three broad
headings: supporting local schools and a presumption against closure;
information and communications technology; and the use of schools
as community facilities.
9. The White Paper also set out the Government's
commitment to 'rural proof' its policy work: that is, to ensure
that the rural dimension is taken into account when developing
and implementing Government policies. In addition to rural proofing
its own work, Defra takes a lead role in this initiative. The
Secretary of State chairs the Cabinet Committee on Rural Affairs
which co-ordinates policies for rural areas and considers major
rural policy issues. The Countryside Agency, an executive agency
of Defra, publishes an annual assessment of how central government
departments have rural proofed their policies.[7]
It has also produced a rural checklist which is designed to help
policy-makers take account of the rural dimension as policy is
developed.
10. The evidence of Defra/DfES made reference to
the Rural White Paper and rural proofing in its description of
Defra's role. It described this role as twofold:
to assist by making available the knowledge and understanding
that Defra and its agencies, especially the Countryside Agency,
have about the needs and opportunities in rural areas;
promoting the need for rural proofing at Ministerial
and official level and working to ensure that all departments
discharge the commitment to rural proofing contained in the Rural
White Paper.[8]
11. In addition to its stated objectives in relation
to the Rural White Paper, Defra has specific targets for its remit
as a department for rural affairs. Defra operates under a Error! Bookmark not defined.
which sets out the key objectives and performance measures against
which the Department is evaluated. The objectives are supported
by specific targets within its Service Delivery Agreement (SDA)
which is developed in conjunction with spending commitments made
as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Objective II of
the PSA is "to enhance opportunity and tackle social exclusion
in rural areas". The SDA contains a target under this objective
to "increase participation in job-related education and training
among the rural workforce, and the proportion of 16 and 17 year
olds living in rural areas taking up further education and training
through the programmes of Learning and Skills Councils".
12. The England Rural Development Programme (ERDP),
for which Defra now has lead responsibility, recognises the role
of education in contributing towards meeting the Government's
aim to create vibrant rural communities. National Priority 2 for
rural communities is "to maintain and stimulate communities,
and secure access to services which is equitable in all the circumstances,
for those who live or work in the countryside". This includes
a commitment to "improving access to and developing facilities
and services - including education, employment, training and recreation
to reduce social exclusion and enhance the quality of life in
rural communities".
1 Defra press release, Defra - aims and objectives
of the new department, 14 June 2001 Back
2
A forthcoming report will examine the provision of broadband in
rural areas. Back
3
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee press release, The
Delivery of Education in Rural Areas, 5 December 2002 Back
4
Q186 Back
5
MAFF and DETR, Our countryside: the future, Cm 4909, November
2000 Back
6
Ibid, para. 4.3.1 Back
7
Countryside Agency, Rural Proofing: a report to Government,
April 2002 Back
8
Ev 58 Back
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