Delivering for rural England – the second report on rural proofing was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September 2022. It follows on from Defra’s first annual report on rural proofing produced in 2021.

The RSN has conducted a Rural Lens Review of the latest DEFRA rural proofing report.  At a glance our key observations about the report are as follows:

• Overall, the DEFRA report (which is a cross governmental department report) sets out an honest analysis in its Understanding the Rural Context section.
• However, the Report is a mixture of ‘backward look’ and ‘forward look’ commentary. There is no explanation of how/if the backward look issues were rural proofed or how/if the forward look issues will be rural proofed. It appears to be limited to those issues which other Departments have chosen to record something on rather than issues where rural proofing has taken place. In the various RSN comments we have also commented on issues not referred to in the DEFRA report, where we feel it necessary to do so
• This does not read like an annual report on rural proofing. It contains numerous examples of national initiatives with no indication of if and how they were rural proofed to ensure equity of approach/outcomes in rural areas.
• We need to be clear what we mean by rural proofing.  In that regard we can do no better than to quote from the 2021 Annual Rural Proofing Report published by Defra on behalf of the Government. Nowhere within this second report is anything evidenced anywhere to show if these processes were followed.
• An annual report on rural proofing should be an opportunity for all Government Departments to show where their policies and procedures have been rural proofed (and to what effect). Are we entitled to conclude that as this is not evidenced that there has been no rural proofing? We commented at the time of the publication of the Queen’s Speech that “many of the measures would impact on rural communities and businesses. It is essential that proper, effective and transparent rural proofing of the legislation, and the delivery, is in place across government and that policies are nuanced to ensure that rural areas can both benefit from the proposals and contribute to the recovery and well-being of the nation. Local delivery to meet local needs is essential.”
• It would have been appropriate for Defra’s Rural Proofing Report to have specifically reviewed the Queen’s Speech proposals and indicate what rural proofing had taken place/would take place. It does not do that.

You can read the full Rural Lens Review by clicking on the image below: