My Lords, I rise to support a number of amendments in this group. I absolutely endorse the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Shipley, in identifying disparities that should be taken into account when we assess the impact of this levelling-up Bill, and taking action as a consequence seems to make logical sense. I particularly support the comments of the noble Lords, Lord Foster and Lord Carrington, and the amendments that they have tabled on rural proofing. I share the frustration of the noble Lord, Lord Foster, in having cantered round this course so many times before without having had a satisfactory conclusion.
This is no way a reflection on the efforts of the noble Lord, Lord Benyon, but because the responsibility for rural proofing currently lies with Defra, its influence within government as a whole is very limited. Yet it is essential that the whole of government engages in the rural-proofing agenda, which is why it is important that this item is discussed and considered within the Bill, so that it is seen as a government responsibility to deliver rural proofing.
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I want to be brief, but it appears to those of us who live in far-flung parts of England that the further away you are from London and the south-east, the more acutely the disparities occur. Living in the north-east, as I and the noble Lord, Lord Shipley, do, we have a double whammy. We have the north/south divide, which is still a major concern, and the rural/urban divide. There is a double impact in terms of rural proofing that needs to be addressed. Only through well documented rural proofing and the proper engagement of different departments of government will we be able to identify what actions need to be taken to address these disparities. It is only through that evidence base that we will be able to successfully apply levelling up in rural areas. I support these amendments.