Evidence and policy ideas will be heard from the Government's Rural Advocate, Dr Stuart Burgess, Age Concern, National Energy Action Charity, English Rural Housing Association, the Young Farmers and Professor John Shepherd on transport and access to services.
Commenting the Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jim Paice MP said:
"Almost one in three people in rural areas live in poverty - a population equivalent to the city of Birmingham - but because it is dispersed the Government chooses to ignore the issue. With rising food and fuel prices more households are falling below the Government's poverty threshold, which is why crag and the Conservative Women's Organisation have called this summit today. We will be hearing from a range of relevant bodies before drawing out policy ideas to alleviate rural poverty."
Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire said, "I am delighted to be helping to lead the discussion at this important event. This government seems unaware of rural poverty, because they measure deprivation by post codes. In fact their policies are making rural poverty worse. Within a typical rural post code in West Worcestershire, there can be the full range of income levels. Those on the lowest incomes suffer not only from a lack of money, but from a lack of affordable housing, lack of public transport, higher fuel prices and longer driving distances. Parts of West Worcestershire have the highest level of geographical deprivation in the country, by the government's own measure - distance from a Post Office, a GP, a primary school and a supermarket. Yet the government's own policy is to close rural Post Offices, threaten rural GP surgeries with giant polyclinics and add sharply to the cost of driving."
Photo: Harriett Baldwin and Jim Paice MP