Rural Policy Centre Involved in Cross Party Group

While Scotland demonstrates flexibility in its current approach to rural policy, rural Scotland could reap benefits if more responsibility for rural development was devolved to local levels.

This was the message from Betty-Ann Bryce of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) when she spoke at the first meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Rural Policy, for which SAC’s Rural Policy Centre provides the Secretariat.

Bryce, of the OECD’s Regional and Rural Unit, was invited to give an overview of OECD studies of rural communities around the world.

She presented the findings to an audience of MSPs (Cross Party Group Convener Alex Fergusson, Elaine Murray, Graeme Dey, John Scott, Paul Wheelehouse, Jim Hume and Nigel Don) and representatives of private, public and third-sector organisations with an interest in rural issues.

The Rural Policy Centre’s Dr Jane Atterton said: "From its international studies of rural development, the OECD believes that while most national governments accept that rural development requires devolution of responsibility to the local level but often the financial resources are not available for this to fully happen.

"Betty-Ann Bryce stated that central governments often struggle with overcoming their own sectoral approach in favour of an integrated policy approach to rural development.

"Current Rural Policy Centre work is looking at how rural policies have changed since the OECD review in Scotland in 2008, in particular at how far the principles of flexibility, partnership working and building the capacity of local communities are features of rural policy-making. The report from this work will be published shortly."

A lively discussion followed Bryce's presentation, covering issues including rural-urban links, the development of renewables in rural areas, rural broadband and the balance between supporting agriculture and other elements of rural development, such as encouraging new business and rural broadband.

The next meeting of the Cross Party Group on Rural Policy takes place in December.

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