As the weather turns colder, I am pleased that the government is supporting households with energy bills. Credit on energy bills will be £66 a month until March, and the Energy Price Guarantee which is keeping bills lower than first forecast. It’s important to note that you do not need to apply for this support – ignore emails or test messages telling you to complete forms to get the money – these are scams. For those not on mains gas, there is also a support payment of £100 towards heating costs. This is in addition to the targeted support for those on lower incomes. I know that some energy companies are still raising direct debits very high – please do make sure these are based on your actual usage, not estimated bills. There is also support for businesses, keeping bills lower through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
There is also lots of advice and support from local councils, and you can find links to this and other help and advice on my website: www.michaeltomlinson.org.uk/cost-living-advice The government is also legislating to provide support for households, like Park Home owners, who may not benefit from the credit on energy bills. We are also changing the way renewable energy prices are linked to global gas prices to protect consumers.
Following the appointment of our new Prime Minister, I have been given a new role in government. I am now His Majesty’s Solicitor General, working under Britain’s most senior law officer the Attorney General. This means that I will be providing legal advice to the government, and also considering unduly lenient sentences. When a person is convicted of serious or violent crime, they are sentenced by a judge, using sentencing guidelines. If anyone thinks the sentence is too lenient, they can it refer it to the office of the Attorney General, and we then consider the case. If I think the sentence was too lenient, I will refer it to the Court of Appeal for review.
I will also be answering questions at the Dispatch Box in Parliament on legal issues, but all this work goes alongside my constituency work. I am unable to take on legal cases for constituents, but I am here to support you as your MP. Recently, I took the opportunity at the party conference to meet several charities that constituents had asked me to see, and hear about their campaigns, including the British Heart Foundation, Guide Dogs and the British Red Cross. Many constituents contact me about environmental issues, and I was pleased to be able to discuss new developments in environmental protection with Wessex Water at conference.
