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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government Loneliness Strategy, what progress his department has made on convening a rural stakeholder group to (a) advise and support the work of Government Departments and (b) help support the communication of initiatives and good practice at a local level.

Government has engaged closely with the Loneliness Action Group in the development of, and now implementation of, its loneliness strategy. Defra officials have engaged with the quarterly Loneliness Action Group meetings, to share updates and hear the group's views. The Minister for Sport and Civil Society, who leads Government's work on loneliness, spoke at the Loneliness Action Group conference in May 2019.

The Government is committed to tackling loneliness in rural areas. Last year the Minister for Rural Affairs co-hosted a roundtable on rural loneliness with the Minister for Loneliness.

We share learning and ensure effective implementation via stakeholder engagement. A rural stakeholder forum, a commitment in the Government’s loneliness strategy, was held earlier this year, co-hosted by Defra and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). This was an opportunity for Government to listen to the challenges faced by rural communities trying to tackle loneliness and for attendees to share good practice. A further forum will be held in the autumn. The Minister for Rural Affairs held a smaller, more focused forum earlier this month. These events are part of ongoing conversations between Government and stakeholders on this important issue.