Many of the rural areas of England are great places to live and work and they make a huge contribution to the national economy.

Around 17 per cent of the population live in rural areas which contribute 20 per cent of England’s total economic activity and provide the locations for 25 per cent of all registered businesses. So helping the rural economy thrive is crucial.

It is often imagined that the rural economy is dominated by agriculture. But while farming provides the backbone, the rural economy is as diverse as its urban counterpart — and becoming ever more so, as traditional industries diversify, patterns of employment change and modern sectors grow.

Manufacturing accounts for the same proportion of the economy in rural as in urban