Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Countryside Agency (V19a)
When we gave our oral evidence to your Committee
on Tuesday 9 November, we undertook to give you a note about use
of the new rural definition by government departments.
In our 2003 rural proofing report we pointed
out that a number of government departments did not monitor the
rural delivery or output of their policies and, in order that
they should do this in future, we proposed that a geographical
marker, using the revised rural definition, when agreed, should
be attached to data sets. In our view, this would contribute to
more effective evidence-based policy making and monitoring of
rural delivery.
The new rural definition developed by Defra,
the ODPM, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and ourselves
has now been agreed and adopted by the ONS (see attached research
note). There was wide stakeholder involvement in the development
of the new definition. Whilst there has been no official "sign-up"
by individual departments, they have been invited to apply it
to their data sets. The onus will be on departments to use the
definition appropriately to monitor progress in achieving outcomes
in rural areas. As the lead department, Defra has been working
with departments at ministerial and official level with our support
to encourage use of the new rural definition and for it to be
applied. We will continue to offer guidance and support to government
on applying the new definition and to help assess the implications
for rural policy and delivery.
Defra is working to deliver its rural public
service agreement (PSA4) with the key departments that provide
essential services to rural areas, in particular the Departments
of Health, Education and Skills, Work and Pensions and Transport
and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Defra and the departments
are working together to identify the key datasets most suitable
for measuring the targets outlined in the PSA and discussing how
to apply the marker to them with the help of ONS who have issued
the new rural marker with the "All Fields Postcode Directory".
Clearly, the new rural definition is a step
forward in being able to assess the delivery of key services to
rural areas and will prove useful in monitoring the effectiveness
of rural proofing. However, individual departments will need continued
support and encouragement to implement the new definition. But
we anticipate departments using the definition when there is a
clear and demonstrable need to do so.
1 December 2004
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