Rural people satisfied with public services, new study shows

Research published today reveals a high level of satisfaction among people in rural areas with key services, including health, transport and education.

The research, carried out by NOP World, shows that satisfaction on the part of individuals and business in rural areas is on a par with levels in urban communities.

Welcoming the findings, rural affairs minister Alun Michael, said: "This report shows that services in rural areas are meeting people's needs.

We are not complacent. Although we found a 'high level' of satisfaction among rural communities with services in the public, private and voluntary sectors, there remains important work to be done. "While a majority of people are happy with the options available to them, there is an important minority who find it difficult to access services. We must continue to concentrate our efforts in this area. "The Rural Strategy announced by the Secretary of State Margaret Beckett earlier this year, put forward measures aimed specifically at improving rural services for those less able to access them." "This survey of opinions and satisfaction levels fits well with the 2004 State of the Countryside Report published earlier in the year (http://defraweb/news/2004/040621a.htm) and is an important success story," he said. That report showed that the majority of rural areas are relatively economically successful, dynamic and changing in ways that are reshaping communities.

A sample of more than 6,000 householders and 2,000 business managers were interviewed in the survey, carried out by NOP World, as part of Defra's on-going work to improve access to services in rural areas. Respondents were asked about their awareness of, satisfaction with and how often they used six key services: public transport, health care, education and childcare, employment services, cash dispensing, and provision of public information on the Internet. In the case of public transport, fewer than one in ten people are dissatisfied with the location of bus stops or train stations, one in four dissatisfied with the routes offered, and a quarter dissatisfied with frequency and cost.

One in nine had experienced difficulties with primary health care and four per cent were dissatisfied with the service provided. Fewer than one in twelve rural businesses were dissatisfied with the quality, range and accessibility of business advice and with the options available for recruiting staff. hose rural businesses that had used Jobcentre Plus were equally satisifed.