Living in the countryside – Rural disadvantage and rural regeneration

The rural agenda in England is now more politically prominent than it has been for many years. The production of the Rural White Paper in November 2000, the creation of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in June 2001, and the appointment of a national rural advocate to oversee the ‘ruralproofing’ of government policy across all departments are all testament to the rise in importance of rural issues.