The needs of our rural communities
The Henley constituency is a highly rural constituency. About a quarter of those on the electoral roll live in towns; the rest of us live in the small and medium sized villages which give South Oxfordshire much of its character.
It is a very beautiful part of the country and in many parts an affluent one. But, to many people's surprise it is also one which is often considered to be ‘geographically deprived' because of the large distances from our homes to essential services.
We have all seen more and more of our local services disappear. Across the country in the first six months of 2009 the British Beer and Pub Association has shown that 52 pubs closed every week. Those of us, like me, who have recently seen pubs close in our villages understand how upsetting this is. Local pubs are often at the heart of the community.
The threat which faces pubs also threatens other rural services such as GP surgeries, our schools, our shops and our churches. And it comes on top of the problem of finding rural jobs and of rural affordable housing. That is why I was delighted in 2009 to open an affordable housing development in the heart of the constituency at Great Milton.
But the threat also affects our ability and the cost of getting access to a whole range of other services. We are one of the slowest countries in the developed world for broadband, and large parts of the country-particularly remote rural areas - only receive broadband at less than 1 Mbps. This is clearly frustrating and also very damaging for local businesses.
When questioning Ministers on new initiatives I have often had to remind them that the effect on rural communities like ours has not been taken into account.
Let me give you an example: a young constituent had been ordered to attend a particular rehabilitation service in a town less than 30 miles away. The constituent wanted to attend but because of poor public transport couldn't reach the centre in time except by leaving the preceding evening and finding somewhere to stay. Sometimes, it seems as if we set people up for failure.
This is a constituency which has a strong and proud farming tradition and I am pleased to have had good discussions with local farmers at one of our local farming clubs. I was also delighted to bring a number of New Zealand MPs, most from rural constituencies, to visit farmers here. We need a thriving farming industry but one which is freed from unnecessary red tape and finds it easier to get on with its business and sell its products.
