This week Damian presented the Rural Fair Share Petition signed by residents of East Hampshire.
The Rural Fair Share campaign is calling on the Government to address the ongoing disparity in funding between rural and urban areas.
The Petition is asking the Government to reduce the Rural Penalty – which sees urban areas receive 50% more support per head than rural areas – by at least 10% by 2020.
Damian Hinds said:
“Overall rural residents earn less, on average, than those in cities, and pay more council tax – yet urban areas receive Government grants worth 50% more per head than those in the countryside. East Hampshire has many rural and semi-rural communities and residents in those areas deserve to have the same services as those elsewhere.
“I would like to see the government respond to the petition signed by those in East Hampshire, and act to change a system which is biased and unfair.”