In order to influence key decision makers in relation to rural services and funding, there are a number of ways that we interact with Parliament and these are detailed below.

 APPG

The RSN currently provide the Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Services.  It is a cross party Group of MP’s from rural constituencies that come together around 4 times a year to promote debate on the provision of rural services and includes MPs and Lords.

 FAIR SHARE GROUP OF MPS 

The Campaign is a cross-party group of MPs, who support an impartial, objective, needs-based approach and a fair share of available national resources to local government funding and the funding by central government of other essential public service.  It is chaired by Steve Double MP.

 VULNERABILITY DAY 

The Vulnerability Day was hosted in Parliament and aimed to bring together MPs and decision makers to encourage discussion among rural MPs from all political persuasions and to gain support for an informal Rural Vulnerability Group of MPs.  There was also an opportunity for companies/organisations to raise awareness of their role with regard to rural vulnerability.

 FAIRER FUNDING CAMPAIGN

The RSN campaigns for fairer funding for rural areas.  It costs more to deliver services in rural areas and the way that the Local Government Finance Settlement has been calculated has resulted in rural areas being significantly underfunded when compared to urban areas for a number of years.  We want fairer funding for rural areas.

 NEWS 

A roundup of news stories in relation to rural areas.