Over two evidence sessions on Tuesday 4th September, the House of
Lords Select Committee on the Rural Economy will ask
representatives from the Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local Government (MCHLG) how their departments are
tackling the distinctive challenges facing rural areas.
Amongst these challenges are skills shortages, lack
of access to training and poor productivity. With previous
witnesses having told the Committee that BEIS needed to place
more of a focus on rural business, the Committee will ask BEIS
how it plans to implement the Industrial Strategy in rural areas
and ensure that the rural economy is not left
behind.
The Committee will begin taking evidence at
2.45pm and will question:
-
Sam Lister, Director,
Industrial Strategy, Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy
-
Joe Manning, Deputy Director,
Local Industrial Strategies, Department for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy
In the second session the Committee will ask the
witnesses whether MHCLG is paying enough attention to the needs
of rural areas, how it is ensuring that housing and planning
policy reflects rural priorities, and how it works with local
government in rural areas to deliver its
objectives.
Giving evidence at 3.45pm will
be:
-
Simon Gallagher - Director of
Planning, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government
-
Joe Tuke – Director of Local
Government Policy, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government
The evidence session will be held in
Committee room 2A in the House of Lords. Questions the Committee
are likely to ask include:
-
What are the potential and opportunities for rural
business and what action is being taken to realise
these?
-
Does the Industrial Strategy adequately consider
rural businesses? Should it not have a more targeted approach
to the distinctive challenges facing rural areas?
-
How will Local Industrial Strategies differ from
City Deals, Sector Deals and Growth Deals? Why are there no
‘Rural Deals’?
-
What are the current policy priorities for rural
affordable housing?
-
How are local authorities engaged when rural
proofing policies?
-
What is the level of coordination with Defra in the
delivery of EU Structural Funds to support rural businesses and
communities?
