Rural Economy

Lord Rogan Excerpts

Thursday 19th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Rogan (UUP)]

My Lords, I also congratulate the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans on securing this timely debate. Given that it is a UK-wide debate, noble Lords will not be surprised to learn that I intend to concentrate my remarks on the contribution of rural areas to economic prosperity in Northern Ireland.

According to the most recent figures published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, more than half of Northern Irish businesses—58%—are located in rural areas. People living in rural areas are more likely to be employed, with almost three-quarters—74%—in work. Workers living in rural areas are more likely to have high skills and report greater job satisfaction than their urban counterparts; both those figures are at 84%. Finally, between 2001 and 2020, the population of rural areas rose by 20% compared with an increase of just 7% for urban areas. In short, Northern Ireland is highly dependent on a healthy and expanding rural economy for its prosperity. His Majesty’s Government, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Executive, must do everything they can to support and protect it.

One way the newly elected United Kingdom Government have acted positively was by finally signing off the remaining two growth deals for Northern Ireland. As the House may be aware, the previous Conservative Government announced four city and growth deals for the Province in the Belfast City region, Londonderry and Strabane, Mid South West, and Causeway Coast and Glens.

However, on taking power, the Labour Government chose to pause the growth deals designed for predominantly rural areas in the Mid South West and Causeway Coast, with Ministers resorting to the now familiar excuse of a hole in the public finances. That situation was rectified by the Chancellor in her Autumn Budget Statement, but the level of uncertainty, disappointment and worry felt in those rural areas was palpable and did nothing to build confidence that the new Government have either understanding of or empathy with those seeking to grow the rural economy in the Province.

As I made clear in my remarks in this House last week, the Government seem to have little understanding of the farming community in Northern Ireland, or indeed elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Agriculture provides £6 billion to the Northern Ireland economy. However, the Chancellor’s decision to slap an inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million has placed the future of many farms, and indeed a way of rural life, under grave threat. According to analysis by the Department of Agriculture, around half of the 26,000 farms in Northern Ireland could be impacted by the tax changes. This will account for 80% of farmland across the Province, including 40% to 45% of cattle and sheep farms and 87% of dairy farms.

The Windsor Framework, which the current UK Government are fully behind, is making life for the people of Northern Ireland more difficult by the day, and it is having a particularly detrimental impact on local agriculture. A succession of Ministers in this House—I hope the Minister will not be the latest—have habitually fended off concerns about life in Northern Ireland by saying that any particular issue is a devolved matter. However, Budget decisions and responsibility for the disastrous Windsor Framework, agreed in partnership with the European Union, are not devolved. This Government have the power to fix them, thereby helping Northern Ireland’s rural economy. I urge the Minister to heed what I say and act accordingly.

Finally—and I accept that this is a devolved matter—according to the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, rural crime is costing the Province’s economy £2 million every year. In an effort to combat this, the Rural Crime Partnership has been formed. It is made up of numerous organisations, including the Department of Justice, the PSNI, the Department of Agriculture, the Ulster Farmers Union and the Federation of Small Businesses. The group is engaged in several initiatives to tackle this scourge on the local community, including Rural Crime Week, which runs each September.

As well as people falling victim to petty crime, a sad reality in many parts of society is that rural communities are regularly targeted by organised crime groups. This criminality takes various forms, including waste crime, animal and machinery theft, and illegal puppy breeding and smuggling, and the proceeds are funnelled back into further criminality. Given the organised nature of these activities, will the Minister say whether there is scope for police and security forces across the United Kingdom to work more closely together to tackle this rural crime? Our Prime Minister is fond of telling us about his previous role in taking down gangs. This might present an ideal opportunity to show the country what our Prime Minister is made of.