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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Government measures rural poverty; what steps the Government is taking to tackle rural poverty; and what plans the Government has to include rural poverty in its policies on rural proofing.

The Government uses a range of measures of poverty, including relative and absolute low income. 16 per cent of rural households were in relative low income before housing costs, compared with 18 per cent of urban households. After housing costs, the gap widens, with 17 per cent of rural households in relative low income compared with 24 per cent of urban households.

Government policy is based on economic prosperity and helping people out of poverty wherever they live. In October 2018 the Government announcement that it had accepted in full the recommendations the Low Pay Commission made for future minimum wage rates. These future rates were announced by the Chancellor in the Budget. The National Living Wage will increase by 4.9% to £8.21 per hour and rates for younger workers will also increase above inflation and average earnings from 1 April 2019.

In the Government’s response to the House of Lords’ report on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act, the Government reiterated its commitment to rural proofing policies from the earliest stages across all departments. There is a continuous dialogue between Defra and other government departments on rural proofing policies. This includes policies that address poverty and other social issues.