Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his steps his Department is taking to support the rural economy in Hampshire.

The Government is committed to strengthening the rural economy, setting the right conditions for businesses to grow and thrive.

The Industrial Strategy, published in November 2017, includes steps that will benefit rural businesses, such as access to finance and improved digital connectivity.

The Rural Productivity Plan, published in 2015, set out a 10-point plan to boost rural economies. As part of this, enterprise zones have been established in rural areas.

Last year, a new enterprise zone was created to help support local growth in Whitehill and Bordon, in particular local start-ups, SMEs, and high-growth businesses. These businesses will be able to benefit from the Bordon innovation centre newly opened in November, as part of the wider TechForest initiative.

The £3.5 billion Rural Development Programme for England supports farmers, foresters and rural businesses and communities. In Hampshire, 41 projects worth a total of £1,296,519 have been agreed to date.