SCAMS Awareness Month is a real chance to stop the rip-off merchants in their tracks.

In my time in Parliament I have campaigned several times for consumer rights, whether that be parking charges in Ebbw Vale or to protect real fans from ticket touts.

So backing Age Cymru’s campaign to stop the scammers has been a real pleasure.

I visited Rassau Luncheon Club to help residents sign up to avoid junk mail and nuisance telephone calls, alongside encouraging households in Tredegar to display the “No Cold Calling” stickers.

I’ll be doing more in the borough in the coming weeks and backing the calls for the Government to intervene to clamp down on the scamming market.

We need to protect our elderly and most vulnerable from the sort of people who would be happy to wreck lives financially and emotionally with just a single phone call, home visit or piece of mail.

Residents in Nantyglo will remember the fire that went on for days at a waste disposal site, causing health fears and eventually prompting a multi-agency response to bring under control.

I was involved in making sure the situation was being handled – and now I want to do more to show the impact of these fires

I’ve contacted fire services across the country asking for the costs of dealing with fires at these sort of sites.

Some of the early estimates and numbers are already pretty alarming to say the least. The cost of just one waste fire is staggering.

As I get responses in the coming weeks, I hope to be able to present some real evidence as to why we need to look at this problem on a national level.

Sometime in August, the usual exam circus will begin.

Hundreds of thousands of children celebrating or commiserating, instantly coupled with broad declarations that either schooling needs to improve or exams are too easy.

I’ve always made sure to celebrate our youngster’s achievements on the day. They can only sit what is in front of them, and I’m sure if some complainants cast their minds back to their school days they would remember the pressure less than fondly.

This is why I want to wish all our Gwent exam entrants the best of luck in advance.

The pressure to do well has never been greater, especially in this competitive climate, and they deserve our support now as well as in August.