Rural and farming networks to provide hotline to the heart of government
Finally after much waiting and speculating the list of new networks has been announced. It builds on this Government’s pick and mix approach to boundaries – with no forum at all for the North West – what do Cumbria and Lancashire think? and three overlapping forums in the East Midlands. I suppose we just need to park the old deterministic past which drove public policy and go with the flow!
The full list identified in the press release is:
- Farming Food and Rural Network East
- Rural Network East Midlands
- Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture
- Derbyshire Economic Partnership Rural Forum
- Food, Farming and Rural Affairs Tees Valley
- Farming and Rural Issues Group (covering much of the South East)
- Essex Rural Partnership
- The Kent Rural Network
- Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership
- South West Rural and Farming Network
- Worcestershire Rural Hub (covering Worcestershire and close links with Warwickshire)
- The Rural Hubs Partnership (covering Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffs)
- Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network
- The North Eastern Farming and Rural Advisory Network
Defra identifies the real benefit of such fora as: “The Networks bring together people from rural communities, rural businesses and the food and farming industries. They will make a direct link between rural areas and the Government, creating new opportunities to develop better and more targeted policy. Each group will also be a vital point of contact in the event of local emergencies – such as flooding – giving advice and information so that the right kind of assistance can be provided to keep businesses running.”
If the networks are really important then whilst overlap can clearly be managed I am more intrigued about what will happen to cover the holes in map – although one friend in the North East we quizzed today reflected “Cumbria are probably well enough organized to get on an make things happen for themselves rather than relying on a new talking shop!”
We should watch these new forums very carefully a bit like LEPs they represent a significant new departure and are full of the scope for real success or real failure based on how much their stakeholders choose to embrace them.
January 31, 2012 @ 9:23 am
Despite three requests to DEFRA, a group from Cumbria and Lancashire are still awaiting feedback promised by DEFRA when their application to be part of the RFN was turned down. Only 14 groups have now been selected, leaving a gaping black hole across Lancashire and Cumbria,a significant farming area,and completely unique from other despite DEFRA originally envisaging between 10 and 20 groups would form the R&FN. The group concerned consists of those who are less concerned with talking the talk and walking the walk (Executive Committees,Strategic Panels,formation processes, development of terms of reference,task and finish groups,communications strategies, stakeholder organisations,focus on delivery etc, etc…..)
Ministers need to be engaging with those on the front line who do make things happen for themselves and who focus on doing what is essential to get the job done as swiftly and effectively as possible.
I am not sure of the true purpose of the R&FN, I am however having doubts as to whether it is all it seems.
I am glad you have picked up on this and would be pleased if you were able to follow this up. As DEFRA will not respond to my request for feedback, researching the background of the chosen groups is my next move.