Last week, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse released its latest report; The Rural Premium: exploring the impact of the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas.
The report concludes an inquiry undertaken by the APPG and chaired by Julian Sturdy MP and Lord Cameron of Dillington over the last six months that has found that those living and working in rural communities are at a disadvantage in terms of daily living requirements, housing, employment and energy. The inquiry took written and oral evidence from stakeholders across the rural economy.
Richard Fuller MP said:
It won’t surprise many of my constituents living in more rural areas, that this period of rising prices is having an even greater impact on their family budgets. For example, in rural Bedfordshire we have widespread “off grid” heating and so many residents had to wait six months longer than others to receive their energy bill subsidy.
This week's report by the All Party Group for Rural Business puts the spotlight on other differences in impact such as the greater share of family budgets spent on petrol and the lack of buses and other alternatives to the car: alternatives that to varying degrees are available to those living in towns and cities. An interesting report which can be read here: https://www.cla.org.uk/doc.../698/APPG_The_Rural_Premium.pdf
