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Lords Committee appointed to investigate the rural economy


The House of Lords has today appointed an ad hoc Select Committee to consider and report on the Rural Economy.

The rural economy has transformed over the years and is now dynamic and diverse, contributing substantial added value to the country as a whole as well as to rural residents. Rural communities are also growing, with significant migration of all age groups from urban areas.


With these changes have come challenges, and there continue to be constraints on the growth of the rural economy, particularly in more remote areas. This inquiry will explore these challenges in more detail and consider how they can be addressed.


Chairman of the Committee, Lord Foster of Bath, said:


“There are around 9.4 million people living in rural areas of England whose businesses and services contributed an estimated £229 billion to England's total economy in 2016.  But the rural economy still suffers from a range of problems, including patchy infrastructure, expensive housing and limited services. The Committee will be exploring how to help support rural economic growth while tackling these issues.


“The voices of those living in rural communities are vital to this inquiry, and the Committee is planning to visit rural areas to learn more about their successes and challenges, and their ideas for the future.”

Committee membership:


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