Politics
02 Sep 2013
Minister to address rural conference
Environment secretary Owen Paterson is to address rural local authority leaders at a major conference. Mr Paterson is the keynote speaker at the Local Government Association (LGA) rural conference in...
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02 Sep 2013
Councils defend increase in reserves
Local authorities have defended a £2.6bn increase in council reserves, saying it is justified given uncertain funding for services. It came after local government secretary Eric Pickles accused councils of...
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26 Aug 2013
VIDEO: Councils call for rural fair deal
RURAL councils across England are adding their weight to a campaign for a fairer government funding deal. It follows calls to challenge the central government formula, which decides how much...
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26 Jul 2013
Government ‘must heed rural warning’
THE government must take action following a warning by MPs that countryside communities are being given a raw deal, says England’s biggest rural partnership. The Rural Services Network, which represents...
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16 Jul 2013
Rural-proofing guide unveiled at last
DEFRA has unveiled long-awaited national guidelines to help government departments ‘rural-proof’ their policies. The 17-page document was published on Tuesday (16 July). It aims to ensure that ministers and civil...
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04 Jun 2013
BBC appoints rural impartiality leader
THE BBC Trust has appointed Heather Hancock to examine the impartiality of the broadcaster’s rural coverage. The review, announced by the trust in March, will cover news, current affairs and...
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20 May 2013
Growth is priority, says government
Stimulating economic growth is the top priority for the government, MPs have been told. “We want to see rural areas contributing to and benefitting from that growth,” said DEFRA minister...
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20 May 2013
Rural voters feel sidelined – poll
ALMOST three-quarters of rural voters feel politicians are more interested in city dwellers, suggests a poll. Some 64% of people living in the countryside believe that the coalition government’s policies...
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26 Apr 2013
‘Landmark’ boost for homes and jobs
A “major landmark” for the coalition government will help boost local economic growth, say ministers. The Growth and Infrastructure Act became law on Thursday (25 April). The government claims the...
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10 Apr 2013
Defra website moves to gov.uk
THE Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website has become part of the single GOV.UK domain. Most Defra information – including news, publications, policy details, consultations and statistics –...
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