Committee publication · Correspondence · 20 May 2026
Correspondence from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to rural proofing policies, dated 28 January 2026
Summary
Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responds to the committee's December 2025 inquiry on rural proofing policies. DEFRA confirms it leads rural proofing across government through advocacy, guidance, training, and the Rural Insights Forum, supported by departmental collaboration, a Rural Taskforce established in March 2025, and funding programmes totalling millions in support for rural housing, broadband, transport, and agricultural resilience.
Key findings
- DEFRA coordinates rural proofing across Whitehall via the Rural Insights Forum, write-round reviews, and guidance to departments; recent examples include transport connectivity reforms, the £3 bus fare cap, and housing programme flexibility for rural developments.
- DEFRA has published four rural proofing reports since 2021 (annual reports in 2021, 2022, 2024 and an interim report in 2023), with plans for a new strategic Rural Taskforce report in 2025 informed by six workshops and cross-departmental input.
- Specific funding commitments include £33m additional to the Rural England Prosperity Fund (2025/26), £2.3m for Rural Housing Enabler, £1.8bn for Environmental Land Management schemes, £1bn forestry investment, and £300m+ for natural flood management (2026–2036).
- Digital infrastructure progress: Shared Rural Network achieved 96% UK landmass coverage; Project Gigabit has upgraded 1.3m premises to gigabit-capable broadband with £2.4bn committed funding.
- DEFRA provides Civil Service Learning training module on rural proofing but states it does not track uptake; training and guidance responsibility sits with individual departments.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Emma Reynolds, Alistair Carmichael MP, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Cabinet Office, Ministry for Homes Communities and Local Government, Department for Transport, Department for Health and Social Care, Home Office
Notable line
“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.”
Key Quotes
“Defra leads on rural proofing, but it is the responsibility of all Whitehall departments to consider how their policies may positively or negatively affect rural areas.”
“The Shared Rural Network (SRN ) reached its target of delivering to 95% of UK landmass a year ahead of schedule.”
“As of the end of September 2025, over 1.3 million premises in hard-to-reach communities across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes.”
“We do not have information about the uptake of this resource.”
“Defra confirmed that it will provide up to £33m of additional funding to the Rural England Prosperity Fund to eligible local authorities for financial year 2025/26.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗