Written question asked by Alex Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 23 November 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 November 2015. It was answered by Rory Stewart (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 December 2015 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Rural Areas: Community Councils

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) cost effectiveness and (b) value for money of Rural Community Councils.

Answer: Defra funds Rural Community Councils via the annual grant it allocates to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the national voice for the 38 rural community councils. ACRE allocates this grant using a well-established funding formula. It reports back to Defra on how the grant is spent through quarterly reports and meetings with officials, and in its annual report and accounts. We will review the benefits of this spend in setting levels of grant for future years.

Secondary information