Oral Answers to Questions

John Glen Excerpts

Thursday 12th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Richard Benyon]

I respect the hon. Gentleman’s knowledge of the issue. He is absolutely right. One of our problems in British waters is that we have, by and large, a very mixed fishery, and the top-down system management has not taken that into account. We are pushing for some form of at least sea-based and perhaps more local control and management of our fisheries. I agree with the hon. Gentleman that at the heart of a reformed fisheries policy is the need for local factors to be allowed to play a role, and that many of them should be controlled by member states or more locally to ensure that we have the right and most sustainable policies.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

7. What steps she is taking to increase the level of access to Ministers and engagement with departmental decision making for farming and rural communities.

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

13. What steps she is taking to increase the level of access to Ministers and engagement with departmental decision making for farming and rural communities.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

Our new rural communities policy unit is building links with a wide range of organisations representing and supporting rural communities. We are also encouraging the development of a new rural and farming network enabling people from different parts of the country to advise Ministers directly on farming, food and rural issues.

[John Glen]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that helpful reply.

One of the challenges facing rural communities is the sense of isolation that results from poor access to broadband and voice calls. How will my right hon. Friend ensure that Ministers address the problem of rural communities’ feeling of apartness from government in regard to lack of access to online means of communication?

[Mrs Spelman]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this point. Those living in rural areas with no access to broadband are at a digital disadvantage, which is why the coalition Government have committed £530 million to assisting the roll-out of superfast broadband to those areas. That is particularly important to farmers, who are expected to file their forms on line, but it is also important to children, who are nowadays expected to file their homework on line.