questionText: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to incorporate transport costs, access to services and off-grid energy costs into its assessment of rural deprivation and need.
answerText: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) leads on management and publication of the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD). Defra collaborated with MHCLG on a review and update of the indices, published in October 2025. A comprehens...
heading: Rural Areas: Disadvantaged