I WELCOMED choristers from Sherborne Abbey Choir and their families for a visit to Parliament and 10 Downing Street on Friday last week.

The choir were in London to perform at evensong at the prestigious Westminster Abbey to a packed audience, and it was fantastic to hear the striking sound of the choristers reverberate throughout the abbey, which has been a place of Christian worship since 960AD.

Back home in Sherborne, the choir sings two weekend services almost throughout the year, and daily in the lead up to Christmas and Easter.

Recently, the Government announced new legislation that will scrap the cap on civil penalties for environmental polluters, and which will target a much wider range of offences.

Under new laws, the current limit of £250,000 on variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency and Natural England can impose directly on operators will be lifted.

New powers will also enable these higher penalties to be levied as a civil sanction for offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, the regime under which most Environment Agency investigations take place.

It follows a consultation which received widespread public support – and which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has listened to. The changes will offer regulators a much quicker method of enforcement for polluters, rather than having to embark on lengthy and costly criminal prosecutions.

It is only right that those who pollute the environment, for instance by breaching storm overflow permits or disposing hazardous waste, should have to pay for their actions.

It is worth reminding New Blackmore Vale readers that the Government’s £2 bus fare cap is still in operation and will run until October 31. From November 1, the bus fare cap will change to £2.50 for single tickets – this cap will last until November 30, 2024.

Ultimately, these fare caps offer an affordable way to explore our wonderful country without having to break the bank.

It is also a fantastic initiative for families enjoying days out over the summer holidays, but also helps regular bus users and commuters. If you can, I would encourage you to use the fare cap scheme over the coming months.

Finally, Dorset Council’s Household Support Fund is still open for applications for its fourth round of funding.

The fund opened on August 2 and is designed to help low-income households with rising costs – it is part of a £4.5 million package of support for West Dorset from the Government, which will be distributed until March 31, 2024. Households are eligible to apply if they have an annual net income of less than £30,000 and savings of less than £16,000. A dedicated helpline is available at 01305 221000.

CHRIS LODER
Conservative MP for West Dorset