IT was my pleasure last Sunday to be present at the superb We Will Remember Them concert at the City Hall – an entertaining and fitting tribute to the sacrifice of our Armed Forces – past and present.

The traditional service and Act of Remembrance next Sunday will give a chance for quieter reflection and I look forward to attending and taking part in the laying of wreaths.

Widespread concern over rising utility bills and, in particular, the cost of energy, continues to exercise the minds of policy makers.

To me, it seems clear that what we need are credible solutions.

Attractive as it may be to pretend that there is a panacea, we cannot pretend that politicians in one country can simply override the international markets and impose our own preferred price for fuel for a political timetable.

Switching providers does present some opportunity to secure better value for money and the Government has already acted to make companies put customers onto the most advantageous tariffs.

At the moment, ministers are examining the whole range of ‘green’ taxes. This does not represent a watering down of its environmental commitments – far from it.

However, at a time when people are feeling the pinch, it is only right and responsible that we determine which schemes contribute to meaningful shifts in behaviour towards sustainable energy sources and which may have become a prohibitive burden, whose effectiveness does not justify their use.

Government cannot set the price of fuel in a volatile global market but it must act responsibly so as not to provoke perverse increases in price by companies or incur unquantifiable cost to the public purse.

My primary concern as a constituency MP is for the poorest, particularly pensioners on fixed incomes, who are not in a position to reduce their bills.

Public health officials at Wiltshire Council work closely with the Wiltshire Affordable Warmth Partnership to provide advice to vulnerable people on keeping their homes warm.

Grants are available for insulation, boiler installation and a host of other practical measures. If you know anyone who is starting to worry about the onset of winter, I would urge them to make contact and establish what extra help they may be entitled to.