Speaking at the Rural Disadvantage and Social Justice conference, organised by the northern office of the Institute for Public Policy Research, Mr Knight said that achieving social justice in rural areas was at the heart of Defra's (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) agenda.
"For me, this agenda is about maintaining and supporting vibrant and self-sustaining rural communities, in villages and in market towns. The essential needs are the same as for any community but geography dictates that we may require imaginative and innovative delivery solutions.
"We have moved beyond the point where the existence of rural disadvantage was little recognised and poorly understood. We know that even in the most affluent areas, one in six households are in income poverty, and that 15 percent of rural children and 20 percent of rural pensioners are estimated to be living below the recognised poverty threshold.
"We also know that social changes to people's travel and shopping habits for example, and broader demographic trends leading to growing rural populations can have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable groups in rural areas.
"These facts have shaped the Government's agenda of more affordable housing, tackling rural service delivery and addressing disadvantage, and low pay and productivity. This reflects Defra's Rural Strategy, published in July 2004, which set a clear vision for bringing about sustainable rural communities. Central to this work is a strong focus on tackling disadvantage, on devolving decision-making to the regional and local level and greater targeting of resources."
Setting out Defra's role in the wider public policy arena, Mr Knight said:
"The Government as a whole is working to tackle disadvantage and promote equality of opportunity. In this context, Defra needs to be an active, influencing Department, ensuring that mainstream delivery meets rural needs. That is why we must continue to build a clear, persuasive evidence-base around rural disadvantage to help us make the case with external partners, at national, regional and local level.
"My vision as Minister for Rural Affairs is to move this debate into the mainstream, to recognise that we are all responsible for addressing disadvantage wherever it occurs.
"The evidence that we have makes it clear that there is no 'one size fits all' solution; after all there is no single 'rural' identity. Different localities will require individually tailored solutions."
Working towards those solutions, the Government's Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill will formally establish the new Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). The CRC will have the important role of advocate, adviser and watchdog, speaking on behalf of rural people businesses and communities. The Commission has been specifically tasked to look out for those suffering from disadvantage in a rural context and has already embarked on a wide-ranging study into rural disadvantage.
"So, can we achieve social justice in rural areas? I firmly believe that we can. I believe we will do it by: strengthening rural economies; rural-proofing service provision to ensure it meets the needs of rural communities; enabling rural communities to develop bespoke solutions to local needs; and influencing partners across Government and beyond to reflect the rural dimension in what they do.
"Working in partnership with a variety of organisations and with my colleagues in other Government departments is central to these solutions."
