BIG LOTTERY FUND VILLAGE SOS INITIATIVE

That this House welcomes the Big Lottery Fund's Village SOS initiative, launched in conjunction with a BBC1 series broadcast from 10 August to 14 September 2011; recognises that community enterprises make a significant contribution to the well-being of rural communities across the UK; further recognises that rural communities with the right support can save local services including village shops and pubs as well as enable people to take action on broadband provision, local healthy food, affordable housing, transport provision and preservation and development of heritage assets; urges the Government to promote community enterprise in rural areas; and calls on the Government to reduce regulation and administrative burdens so that it is as easy to start a community enterprise as any other form of business.