1 IN 5 RURAL PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 1st Jul 2007

The Liberal Democrats have revealed that 20% of rural citizens are living in poverty ahead of the launch of their new policies which aim to address the social problems of rural areas.

The paper A Fair Future for Rural England, which highlights this statistic, emphasises the need for the creation of sustainable rural communities supported by good schools, medical and bus services, and thriving local businesses.

Key proposals include:

· Increasing the amount of affordable rural housing by increasing councils' fiscal and planning powers over second homes and promoting schemes such as 'Equity Mortgage' affordable homes.

· Better rural public services. Schools need the 'pupil premium' to reflect rural needs, while rural outreach clinics and home visits can extend health care.

· Better rural jobs. Broadband coverage is key to the revival of remote areas that have been left behind as better located rural areas grow rapidly.

· Boost bioenergy by introducing long-term targets for biofuels, a new assurance scheme to ensure sustainability, and reforms of woodland tax breaks to boost biomass cropping.

· Create clearer food labelling by ensuring that all food - imported and home grown - is labelled with the appropriate health, animal welfare and environmental standards.

Today, visiting the Royal Agricultural Show in Warwickshire, Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell said:

"The popular image of a rural idyll hides a darker reality of rural hardship.

"Our rural communities are suffering from inadequate transport systems, local schools and services like post offices closing down and housing that is no longer affordable.

"Labour does not seem to care about the countryside, but we also remember the damage suffered by the rural economy under the previous 18 years of Conservative rule.

"Farming remains at the heart of the rural economy and rural life. Farmers are often the custodians of the countryside that we love. That is why we have developed long term policies for the future of agriculture.

"I believe that our rural communities can have a thriving future, and the proposals in A Fair Future for Rural England outline how the Liberal Democrats would achieve this."

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, said:

"One in five rural residents in England live in poverty; but half of the people living in these communities don't believe there is disadvantage in their area.

"We have a vision for a rural England in which no community is divided for want of affordable housing or adequate transport links; where farmers are guaranteed a fair price for food from supermarkets; and where everyone is served by good local schools, health care and visible policing."