Government dismisses rural crisis report

A Government commissioned report has found that young people are being forced from rural areas because of a shortage of jobs and homes.

The government's rural advocate Stuart Burgess said "deep concerns" over work, training, housing, transport and social exclusion existed across rural England. This will hardly come as news to people in North Cornwall where the average house price is more than 16 times average wages. But nevertheless, the report is a welcome summation of the problems we face.

What is decidedly less welcome is the Government's response:

A Downing Street spokesman said rural communities played "an important part in British life" and that ministers would look carefully at the points raised.

Yet again, a trite dismissal from the Government of our problems. They have been made aware of the problems rural areas face many times over many years - including in Matthew Taylor's excellent report on rural housing. But have they done anything about it? Nope.