IN RECENT weeks, I’ve been keeping in touch with as many businesses in retail, hospitality and tourism as possible, to see how they are doing since reopening and to offer my ongoing support. Last weekend I was in Dorchester, to learn more about the town’s ‘LoveDorch’ campaign and to meet with the manager of Goulds Department Store to discuss their plans for the future.

Through its Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, with £50m distributed to councils throughout England, Government has supported marketing initiatives to help town centres such as Dorchester and Sherborne get safely back to business and it was good to get positive feedback from retailers on how this has helped. I rounded off the weekend with a visit to Sherborne’s Independent Market on Sunday where more than 90 stallholders brought a real buzz to the town and it’s good to see our markets thriving once more.

In Westminster last week I voted in the House of Commons on the Chancellor's short-term measures on stamp duty, on the all-important lavatory duty for town councils and on the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill. This week we have had the third reading of the Trade Bill and, to be clear on where I stand, I believe it is not the job of Parliament, nor me, to ratify trade deals, it is the job of Government. It is then my responsibility, on behalf of us all here in West Dorset, to hold the Government to account through questions and debates.

Finally, there has been much debate on the subject of TV licences for the over-75s. I have co-signed a letter, along with more than 60 fellow Conservative MPs, to warn the BBC's Director General that the corporation's plans to end free television licences for most over-75s demonstrates how detached it has become from its viewers, to find out more visit www.chrisloder.co.uk/bbc

WEST DORSET MP CHRIS LODER