Local Government Finance (Rural Authorities)

Debate between Helen Goodman and Tony Cunningham

Monday 11th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) on introducing this debate and the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr Stuart) on the good work that he has been doing in running the all-party group on rural services.

I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not just an issue for Government Members; Labour Members are also concerned about it.

[Sir Tony Cunningham]

I am sure that my hon. Friend agrees that this is not a party political issue. Cumbria county council is controlled by Labour and Conservative councillors, and they think that the situation is unfair.

[Helen Goodman]

Precisely—it is unfair. There is a lot of deprivation in rural areas, many of which in my constituency are former mining areas and old mining villages where the levels of deprivation are among the highest in the country. That is also true of Cumbria and in Derbyshire.

It is important to consider why service delivery is more expensive in the countryside. Distance issues that do not apply in urban areas mean that the costs of delivering village schools, school transport, health services, social care, transport to hospitals and ambulance services all shoot up.