Minister in pledge on rural access to internet

Recently-appointed Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman told the Yorkshire Post that localised projects such as using GP surgeries allowing out of hours access were a good idea and said the new Government remained firmly committed to making sure the countryside was connected to the internet.

Mrs Spelman said she had heard the suggestion earlier in the day while attending a broadband summit with fellow Ministers and bosses from internet utility companies.

Speaking at the showground, Mrs Spelman said the issue remained important to the Government and was written into not only the coalition government's agreement but also the Defra business plan.

She also reaffirmed her's and the Government's commitment to food labelling, saying that she would be campaigning at European Union level to improve the accuracy of food labels.

She said: "My presence as a rural champion was to make the case for broadband provisions. There are lots of places across the country that we call 'not spots', places where people do not have internet access, and people are severely disadvantaged.

"There were some really good suggestions about using the public sector infrastructure as a way of extending better internet coverage into the countryside.

"Already a number of examples of community broadband are working." She said it might be the case that a GP's surgery had internet access which could be used by others outside surgery hours.

"We can look at that. All around the country there are examples of what we can do, to make the resources stretch further, so that the countryside doesn't lose out.

"One third of all farmers do not have access to the internet and yet it is assumed by a whole number of public and private bodies.

"They have to file forms on line for payments but one third have not got access to that and other import forms of information like the weather information on disease control, market prices – things like that from which your business will benefit."

Earlier, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt had announced the Government would no longer be able to meet the Universal Service Commitment (USC) of broadband speeds of two megabits per second (two Mbps) by 2012, because of insufficient funding, something the Country Land and Business Association said it was "shocked and disappointed about".

However Mrs Spelman insisted it remained a priority.

Mrs Spelman was making her first visit to the Great Yorkshire Show since assuming her role as Environment Minister.

During her stay she was due to meet with show officials, as well as officials from the National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association.

She sought to allay fears the effect the expected scrapping of the Food Standards Agency would have on food labelling.