Rural Fair Funding
Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural locales is costlier.
02 Feb 2026
Warm Homes Plan Aims To Cut Bills And Tackle Fuel Poverty
The government has launched a £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, described as the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history, aimed at cutting energy bills, tackling fuel poverty...
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02 Feb 2026
UK Poverty: The 2026 Picture
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2026 report shows that poverty remains a persistent feature of life for millions of people across the UK, with little overall change in headline...
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02 Feb 2026
No Short Cuts To Neighbourhood Recovery
A new report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods has set out the scale of neighbourhood-level deprivation in England and called for a long-term, coordinated national strategy to support recovery...
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27 Jan 2026
Local Government Finance Settlement Analysis
The Rural Services Network carries out individual analysis of Local Government Funding Settlement on behalf of Local Authorities that have a ‘Sparse Membership’ of the RSN. One of our main...
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27 Jan 2026
RSN Presses Government On Rural Funding
The Rural Services Network has written directly to Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, setting out our concerns about the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement...
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27 Jan 2026
APPG Chair Writes To Minister On Rural Funding Settlement
Following last week’s Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Services, the Group’s Chair, Sarah Dyke MP, has written separately to Alison McGovern MP, Minister of...
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27 Jan 2026
Five Questions To Ask Your MP Ahead Of The Local Government Settlement
With decisions on the local government finance settlement expected next week, now is a crucial moment for rural communities to make their voices heard. MPs play a key role in...
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27 Jan 2026
Plans Announced To Improve Access To Cancer Care Across England
The government has announced a package of measures aimed at reducing geographical inequalities in cancer care, with a particular focus on improving access to specialists and diagnostic technology in rural...
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19 Jan 2026
APPG For Rural Services Sets Priorities For The Year Ahead
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Services held its Annual General Meeting at Westminster last week. The meeting brought together MPs and Peers to agree the Group’s focus for...
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19 Jan 2026
Children’s Care System Under Strain As Councils Face Rising Costs
A new report from the Public Accounts Committee has warned that England’s children’s residential care system is failing vulnerable children and placing growing, unsustainable pressure on local authorities. The Committee...
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