To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the engagement he has had with the Department of Health to ensure equitable funding for health service provision between rural and urban areas.

My Department has not engaged directly with the Department of Health on the funding for health service provision, however the Department of Health has a duty under Section 1(1) of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 to have due regard to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas in the development, adoption, implementation and revision of policies, strategies and plans and in the design and delivery of public services.

The purpose of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016 is to help deliver more equitable outcomes for people in rural areas by ensuring that public authorities take into consideration the particular needs of rural communities when undertaking their functions. The Department of Health reports back to DAERA on how it has exercised its due regard duty on an annual basis and DAERA publishes this information in its Rural Needs Annual Monitoring Report, a copy of which is laid before the Assembly.

My Department also works in partnership with the Department of Health on a range of initiatives to help promote positive mental health and wellbeing in rural areas including the Farm Families Health Checks Programme, Social Farming and the SPRING Social Prescribing initiative under DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework.