Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the rural premium on rural communities.

Defra regularly publishes statistics on a range of social and economic topics and provides broad comparisons between Rural and Urban areas by settlement type. These are available through The Statistical Digest for Rural England.

This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities. We have made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed to ensure that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.