Llais has responded to the Welsh Government’s White Paper on Rural Proofing and Environmental Sustainability

Drawing on what people across Wales tell us through our engagement, representation and advocacy work, our response highlights the barriers many rural communities face when accessing health and social care services. These include challenges relating to transport, distance, workforce shortages, digital exclusion, affordability, access to Welsh-language services and the availability of local support.

Our response emphasises that rural proofing should be more than a compliance exercise. We believe success should be measured by whether it leads to fairer access to services, fewer barriers for people living in rural areas and decisions that better reflect the realities of everyday life. Llais also calls for lived experience to play a central role in decision-making, alongside greater transparency and accountability about how people's views have influenced outcomes.

The response makes a number of recommendations to help ensure rural communities are heard, considered and supported through future policy and service planning across Wales.