Rural advocate: Countryside forgotten
Monday, 03 Mar 2008 17:57
The government's emphasis on child poverty and other national measurements of deprivation is resulting in rural poverty being forgotten, a report says.
Stuart Burgess, the government's rural advocate, highlights the "real hardship" he has seen on his travels to rural areas across Britain in his second report to Gordon Brown published today.
He says over 928,000 rural households live below the official poverty line but believes "a perception of the countryside as affluent and idyllic" is shielding the difficulties faced.
"I urge government to develop policies that better reflect the nature of rural disadvantage, targeting people in need, rather than places," Dr Burgess said.
His comments come as a report from the Commons' work and pensions committee says the government is struggling to make progress on its aim to halve the number of children living in poverty by 2010.