Shailesh Vara MP visited three Centres in his North West Cambridgeshire constituency which are helping to provide supplies for those fleeing from Ukraine.

Mr Vara met Ms Alla Irodenko and Mr Yuriy Zhuravel, leading members of the local Ukrainian community, who have been working full time on a voluntary basis since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. 

He also met Mr Matt Oliver, Head of Think Communities from Peterborough City Council and his colleague Mr John McHattie, Community Connector, along with a number of volunteers at the Centres.

St Olga's Church in Woodston, also known as the Ukraine Church, is taking in all the supplies being donated by the public. Items being given include medicines, tinned food, clothes, sanitary products as well as towels and blankets. 

Some of the goods are being sorted and packed at the church. The rest, especially clothes, are being transferred to the East of England Showground for sorting out into different categories. They are then taken to premises in the Brightfield Business Hub in Orton Southgate ready for transporting to the people of Ukraine. Shipments are being sent out at least twice a week.

Mr Vara thanked the organisers and volunteers at the three Centres and pledged to do all he could to support their efforts, including working with Peterborough City Council and Government Ministers and Departments.

As well as being informed about the logistics of all that is being done, Mr Vara was informed of the generosity of some of the local businesses who are ensuring that the volunteers are provided with food and drink while they are working.

Following the visits, Mr Vara said:

“It was wonderful to see the local community come together in this way to help those in desperate need following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

“I give huge thanks to the public who have been extraordinarily generous with their donations and continue to do so. Massive thanks to Alla and Yuriy and all the volunteers who are ensuring that the supplies get across to Ukraine as quickly as possible.

“I was also very pleased to see that Peterborough City Council is working closely with the volunteers. The Council's role will, of course, increase in the coming days and weeks as Ukrainians start to arrive in the UK.”

Mr Oliver added:

“Peterborough City Council is proud to be working alongside our local Ukrainian community to help them with their efforts in sending much needed essential items to Ukraine. At this point the Council are taking a coordinating role for immediate needs such as storage, volunteer coordination and communications support.  The response from the people of Peterborough has been amazing as always at this tragic time and we would like to thank everyone who has contacted us or who is taking their own community action to stand together with Ukraine.”

 Ms Irodenko commented:

“Myself and the Ukrainian community here are very grateful for your support. The support that we received warms our hearts.  In this time of need during this war, the whole world has stood shoulder to shoulder in support for Ukraine. I am very proud to be Ukrainian. Thank you to Mr Vara for his support and guidance.”

Mr Zhuravel said:

“Ukrainian Community in Peterborough thanks MP Shailesh Vara for visiting us. He was welcome at all our donation sites. We were touched by his attention to details of our process, and his readiness to help in all our needs now and in the future. Mr Shailesh Vara’s support of our small group, who are giving absolutely all to help Ukraine, is very important to us.”

If you want to donate money, there are a number of charities providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

Donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal

The UK Government matched, pound-for-pound, £25 million of public donations to this appeal.

In Poland the authorities have issued a statement calling on the UK public not to provide further in-kind donations.

Shailesh Vara welcomes measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to tackle illegal hare coursing and calls for maximum penalties to act as a powerful deterrent.

Shailesh Vara 

As a Cambridgeshire neighbour, I am well aware of the difficulties that the Bill seeks to put right. When the matter has been raised with the police, one of the main points that they make is that until now the legislation has had no teeth. When the Bill becomes law, hopefully they will have what they have always wanted. Does my hon. Friend agree that what we really need, once the Bill is on the statute book, is for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that the maximum penalties are inflicted on those who are found guilty, not only as punishment for them but to act as a powerful deterrent to others?

Mr Djanogly 

I agree with my hon. Friend in every regard. He has made the important point that when legislation is on the statute book, it must be enforced. I think he will agree with me, given the experiences we have both had in talking to local police, that they seek this legislation, they are waiting for it and they will act on it, and no doubt we are both keen to see that happen.

Hansard

Shailesh Vara welcomes the Prime Minister’s statement on sanctions and seeks assurance that any UK individuals or institutions who have any dealings with the banks and Russian individuals sanctioned will face the severest of penalties.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement. Tough sanctions require tough compliance. He said that UK individuals and entities should not have any dealings with the banks and Russian individuals that he mentioned. Will he therefore give this House an assurance that for any UK individuals or institutions who have dealings with such banks and individuals, there will be the severest of penalties?

The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)

Yes, indeed. Those who abet sanctioned people, help them to evade anti-money laundering provisions or help them to conceal beneficial interests will of course be breaking the law themselves.

Hansard

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston MP visited Peterborough United Football Club (PUFC) today where he was welcomed by Shailesh Vara MP, Director Bob Symns and Chief Executive David Paton.

The Minister was fulfilling a promise to visit the club which he made in November 2020 when Mr Vara held a debate in Parliament to highlight the difficulties PUFC were experiencing by the restrictions during the pandemic. At the time, no fans were allowed to visit the Weston Homes Stadium to see live matches which was having a significant effect on the club's finances.

During the debate, Mr Vara urged the Minister to allow a limited number of fans to visit the stadium on match days as the club had made very thorough plans to ensure that people remained safe while watching matches.

On his visit to the stadium, which is in Mr Vara’s constituency of North West Cambridgeshire., Mr Huddleston was given a presentation on matters concerning the club, including the very important work carried out by the Peterborough United Foundation. The Foundation provides a training and development centre, outreach programs, disability coaching programmes, support for an adult amputee team and much more.

Mr Huddleston also had a tour of some of the club's facilities and met with some of the people involved with the club's work including Director of the Peterborough Foundation Gill Wignall, Academy Manager Kieran Scarff and General Manager of the Ladies Team Bobby Copping.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:-

“I am very grateful to the Minister for keeping his promise to visit the club and taking time out of his very busy schedule. 

“This was an important visit and a great opportunity to talk to the Minister about the club and football in general. I was especially pleased that the Minister was able to see first hand the fantastic work being done by the club to support the local community in a variety of ways.”

Photo: CEO David Paton, Minister Nigel Huddleston MP, Shailesh Vara MP and Director Bob Symns

Shailesh Vara makes the case for Peterborough to be the new HQ for Great British Railways.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

May I start by congratulating my right hon. Friend on his appointment as Leader of the House? The Secretary of State for Transport recently announced that there would be a competition to find a new headquarters for Great British Railways. My constituency of North West Cambridgeshire comprises the southern half of the city of Peterborough, and I am in no doubt that it would be the ideal location for a new headquarters. Will my right hon. Friend kindly provide time in the House for a debate in which I and my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Paul Bristow) could put forward the case as to why the city of Peterborough should be the location of the new headquarters for Great British Railways?

Mark Spencer (The Leader of the House of Commons)

My hon. Friend is a great champion for his constituents, for Cambridgeshire and for Peterborough. I understand that the Great British Railways transition team is running the competition, and I wish him every success in his bid. I also note that the Government are embarking on the biggest investment in our railway infrastructure, with £96 billion through the integrated rail plan.

Hansard

Shailesh Vara MP has today called for Peterborough to be the home for the new national headquarters of Great British Railways. This follows the recent announcement by Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport, to hold a competition inviting towns and cities across the country to apply for Great British Railways’ new headquarters to be located in their area.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Vara said that his constituency of North West Cambridgeshire includes the southern half of the city of Peterborough and that he was in no doubt that the city would be the ideal location for the new headquarters.

Mr Vara asked the Leader of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, for a debate in the Commons in which he and neighbouring MP Paul Bristow could make the case for Peterborough to be the new headquarters.

In his reply, Mr Spencer praised Mr Vara as “a great champion for his constituents” and wished him every success in his bid. Mr Spencer added that the Government is embarking on the biggest investment in railway improvements, with £96 billion through the Integrated Rail Plan.

Great British Railways is a planned public body which will oversee rail transport across the country from 2023, replacing Network Rail. Its responsibilities will include the contracting of train operations, setting of timetables and fares, and the collection of fare revenue at the majority of stations.

As part of the Government’s commitment to levelling up, the headquarters for Great British Railways will be based outside of London. The winning area will receive government investment and a boost to the local economy with the creation of a number of high-skilled jobs.

Shortlisted applications will be announced in May 2022, to be followed by a public vote.

Mr Vara said:

“There is no doubt in my mind that Peterborough would be an excellent location for the new headquarters of Great British Railways. It would be a great boost to the city in so many ways, including bringing in many more jobs.

“As one of the fastest growing city’s in the country, with centuries of historic links to some of Britain’s first train stations, I am confident that Peterborough is well placed both culturally and geographically to bid for this investment.”