I try to avoid commenting on their situation - all I have on Scotland is sparse
I would think that there is a good case for saying that all you have on England is sparse - or hearsay. Your location means that you very rarely attend them but you still refute the evidence of those who go to folk clubs regularly.
That there aren't enough of them goes without saying
If quantity = quality then you have a case but I would suggest that the opposite is the case. Now that all the folk comedians, guitar noodlers, introspective singer-songwriters etc. have moved on, my experience suggests that in the reduced numbers of clubs there is a larger percentage of hardcore enthusiasts for the tradition whilst at the same time a feeling that variety is needed to make an evening entertaining.
Not everything is right with the surviving clubs and who would expect it to be. My main bugbear is the appearance of music stands and words on hand-held devices. Usually I have the courage to tell that singer that they would put over the song better if they were fully in command of the words.