Madam, I write in response to Mr Jackson's letter, which raised a number of important issues affecting older people and those on low or fixed incomes.

I know how difficult the present dire economic situation is for many of my constituents, particularly those whose incomes are not rising in line with inflation, or perhaps at all.

It is only a small comfort to know that September's high inflation figures will be used to set next year's state pension and benefit rates, even though inflation is widely expected to fall in 2012.

The coalition Government has acted vigorously to take control of the escalating debt situation, which will take several years yet to start to turn around. It has also taken a range of steps to help people with the cost of living. Fuel duty has been cut, council tax has been frozen, and the cold weather payment has been increased from £8.50 to £25.00 a week.

Starting this winter, the Warm Home Discount Scheme is projected to give around two million vulnerable households an annual rebate of up to £120 on their fuel bills.

I share Mr Jackson's deep concern about recent reports of the poor treatment of elderly patients in hospital. Locally, the standard of care is generally very good and I commend our doctors and nurses and their colleagues for their hard work and commitment, especially as winter approaches. Readers may be aware of my national campaign to secure a rebate on the Private Finance Initiative. This is already expected by the government to yield £1.5 billion in savings, which I believe is a record for a new MP. I am an active supporter of Ross Community Hospital, and am working with Hereford Hospital to secure a share of the savings on its PFI, which will be retained locally and not remitted to the Treasury.

I also agree with Mr Jackson about the issue of fairness in taxation. Indeed I have campaigned for months now to call Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to account for the unfair way that small business tax affairs are treated compared to those of large firms, such as Vodafone and Goldman Sachs. I regularly cross-examine the Treasury and HMRC on this and related issues through my position on the Treasury Select Committee.

Finally, I have written in the national press extensively on these and other issues; there are copies on my website, http://www.jesse4hereford.com">www.jesse4hereford.com. My PFI campaign is also discussed in my Annual Report, which can be obtained free of charge from the website or from my constituency office.

I can be contacted via my office at Suite 3, Penn House, Broad Street, Hereford, HR4 9AP, by telephone at 01432 276 422, or by email at [email protected]">[email protected]. I also hold regular surgeries in Ross, in Hereford and around the constituency. The door is always open to any constituent who needs my assistance.

Jesse Norman MP