RDC(3) P&D8
Rural Development Sub-Committee
Inquiry into Poverty and Deprivation in Rural Wales
Response from Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust
Friday 7th March 2008
Alun Davies,
Chair, Rural Development Sub-Committee,
National Assembly for Wales,
Cardiff Bay,
Cardiff,
CF99 1NA.
Dear Mr Davies,
Re: Scrutiny Inquiry into Poverty and Deprivation in Rural Wales
I welcome this opportunity to respond on behalf of Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust to your call for evidence to inform the proceedings and recommendations of the Rural Development Sub-Committee’s work on poverty and deprivation issues for the following groups:
Children and young people
The economically active
The economically inactive
Older people
In this response, we have focussed on whether anti-poverty and anti-deprivation policies address the needs of rural areas, as requested.
a) General
1.What are the poverty/deprivation problems faced by rural areas? What are the specific needs of rural areas in relation to this issue?
The main problems faced by rural areas are access, transport and housing.
2.Are anti-poverty/deprivation activities best dealt with by the Welsh Assembly Government or by the Local Authorities? Why?
They need to be dealt with by the Welsh Assembly to raise the profile and also at local level to ensure that action is achieved.
3.i) What anti-poverty/deprivation initiatives (Welsh Assembly Government or Local Authority) are you aware of?
Flying Start; Surestart;
3. ii) Do these anti-poverty/deprivation policies adequately address the needs of rural areas?
Flying Start is targeted at defined geographic areas and does not take income into account, which means that the more advantaged people also benefit. This has been questioned locally.
4.What specific measures would you like to see implemented by the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with poverty/deprivation issues in rural Wales?
The Welsh Assembly Government needs to acknowledge that access is a key issue and is directly linked to rural poverty.
5.What examples of good practice are you aware of in Wales/other parts of the UK/overseas?
Flying Start.
b) Population Groups
The following questions have been considered in relation to the following groups:
Children and young people
The economically active
The economically inactive
Older people
6.To what extent are these groups living in poverty/deprivation in rural Wales?
Many amenities and services have only developed in areas of higher population density, which leads to a reliance on transport systems and road networks. People living in rural areas, particularly those with a disability are therefore at a greater disadvantage. The costs of providing support are also correspondingly higher.
7.What poverty/deprivation issues are experienced by these population groups that are specific to rural areas? Please highlight any relevant evidence or research that you are aware of.
Living in poverty worsens the influence of disadvantage on risk taking behaviour, i.e. smoking and substance misuse.
8. How do the problems of the 4 population groups differ across rural Wales (for example between areas in West Wales and East Wales)?
Older people: Much of the poverty and deprivation experienced by people in West Wales tends to be hidden and is not recognised. For instance, elderly farmers living alone (in this group there are high suicide rates).
Children and young people: There are limited opportunities in terms of access to social events and also to employment and affordable housing in rural mid Wales. This may apply elsewhere but to a lesser extent.
9. In what ways are any sub-groups within the four population groups particulary affected by rural poverty, for example, disabled economically inactive people or female older people?
The number of NEETs (hard to reach young people who are not in education, employment or training) are a growing group in this area and there are extremely limited employment opportunities for them. They do not register for Job Seekers allowance due to the distance travelled to register with the Progamme Team, mainly due to the infrequent and high cost of public transport and awareness of the limited employment opportunities.
10. What are the most effective ways of tackling poverty/deprivation for individuals from these groups living in rural parts of Wales?
Improvements in road transport networks, cheaper public transport, more affordable housing, increased employment opportunities.
11. How can these problems be addressed by the Welsh Assembly Government?
Greater investment in infrastructure and in creating new opportunities, through specifically targeted projects and initiatives.
I trust this will be helpful to you in scrutinising the relevance and effectiveness of Welsh Assembly Government policy in this area.
Yours sincerely,
Allison Williams,
Chief Executive.
Llinell Union / Direct Line: 01970 635304
Ffacs / Fax: 01970 635923
