30 September 2022
Vara presents Award to local NFU ‘Community Farming Hero’

Shailesh Vara MP presented Mr Luke Abblitt of Daintree Farm, Ramsey St Mary’s with a certificate of achievement for his voluntary work with local schools.

The award was organised by the National Farmers Union. Mr Abblitt’s nomination will now go forward to the Regional Awards. He will also be invited to an NFU reception in Parliament in November. The reception will celebrate the enormous contributions that farmers make to their communities.

Mr Vara visited Mr Abblitt at his farm where they discussed a number of issues concerning the rural community and the work Mr Abblitt does to educate young people in local schools about food production on farms. Mr Abblitt hopes to persuade the next generation to pursue careers in agriculture, and to show how farming can protect the environment against climate change.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“I was very pleased to meet Luke and present him with the NFU ‘Community Farming Hero’ Award. Luke is very passionate about highlighting the advantages of a career in agriculture to local young people.

“Inspiring the next generation of farmers is an achievement he should be very proud of and I wish him well in the Regional Finals.”

Mr Abblitt commented:

“Receiving this award was a total surprise to me. I was very honoured to meet Mr Vara and have the pleasure of showing him around Daintree Farm.

“We discussed matters concerning the rural community and how I am passionately working with local schools to educate young people about the importance of farming.”

Photo: Luke Abblitt and Shailesh Vara MP

9 September 2022
Tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen

Shailesh Vara speaks in Parliament to pay tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

I rise on behalf of myself and my constituents in North West Cambridgeshire to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen.

It is fair to say that all of us in this Chamber have had Her Majesty as part of our lives, and I mean that quite literally. She demonstrated an extraordinary sense of duty and commitment to public service. Her Majesty has left an imprint not only on our country and the Commonwealth, but across the world. She holds the world record for being featured on the most global currencies, and her passing is being marked across the world. For example, in India they will have a national day of mourning this Sunday.

As well as being our Queen, she was, of course, a global figure with a global understanding. This was summed up when she spoke at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2007, when she said:

“Recognising that each one of us is made up of layer upon layer of identity and that each of our unique personalities has ties to culture, religion, community, country and beyond, is the essence of open and tolerant communities.”

Like many others, I was very fortunate to meet Her Majesty on a number of occasions. The last time was on 8 July at Windsor castle, when I was sworn into the Privy Council before receiving the seals of office for Northern Ireland. I will treasure her wonderful smile to me as I shook her hand and as I took the oath of allegiance holding the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu book used on such occasions. After the ceremony, I was allowed to keep the copy on which I had taken the oath. The occasion is all the more special for me because, while there was subsequently a virtual swearing into the Privy Council, I was the last person to be sworn personally by Her Majesty into the Privy Council.

It is extraordinary that so many global leaders confess in their biographies that on meeting Her Majesty, they were so nervous, and then they add that she very quickly put them at their ease, often with a joke. We will miss her.

I conclude by saying that my prayers and thoughts are very much with the royal family at this difficult time, and particularly with King Charles as he takes on his enormous responsibilities. God save the King.

Hansard

9 September 2022
Tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen

Shailesh Vara speaks in Parliament to pay tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

I rise on behalf of myself and my constituents in North West Cambridgeshire to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen.

It is fair to say that all of us in this Chamber have had Her Majesty as part of our lives, and I mean that quite literally. She demonstrated an extraordinary sense of duty and commitment to public service. Her Majesty has left an imprint not only on our country and the Commonwealth, but across the world. She holds the world record for being featured on the most global currencies, and her passing is being marked across the world. For example, in India they will have a national day of mourning this Sunday.

As well as being our Queen, she was, of course, a global figure with a global understanding. This was summed up when she spoke at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2007, when she said:

“Recognising that each one of us is made up of layer upon layer of identity and that each of our unique personalities has ties to culture, religion, community, country and beyond, is the essence of open and tolerant communities.”

Like many others, I was very fortunate to meet Her Majesty on a number of occasions. The last time was on 8 July at Windsor castle, when I was sworn into the Privy Council before receiving the seals of office for Northern Ireland. I will treasure her wonderful smile to me as I shook her hand and as I took the oath of allegiance holding the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu book used on such occasions. After the ceremony, I was allowed to keep the copy on which I had taken the oath. The occasion is all the more special for me because, while there was subsequently a virtual swearing into the Privy Council, I was the last person to be sworn personally by Her Majesty into the Privy Council.

It is extraordinary that so many global leaders confess in their biographies that on meeting Her Majesty, they were so nervous, and then they add that she very quickly put them at their ease, often with a joke. We will miss her.

I conclude by saying that my prayers and thoughts are very much with the royal family at this difficult time, and particularly with King Charles as he takes on his enormous responsibilities. God save the King.

Hansard

8 September 2022
Vara pays tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

Shailesh Vara MP has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, following the announcement of her passing in Balmoral at the age of 96.

Speaking after the announcement, Mr Vara said:-

“Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to the service of her people and country. She was not born expecting to inherit the throne, but when duty called in 1952 she rose to the challenge. Over her seven decades as our Queen, she has provided a reassuring stability, not just to our country, but also to the Commonwealth and the wider world.

As the longest reigning monarch in British history, and the second in world history, the Queen has led the United Kingdom through profound periods of change. At the age of twenty one, she solemnly pledged to spend her life in service to the Crown and Commonwealth, a pledge she faithfully kept.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, who have lost a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother. I would also like to pay tribute to the achievements of an extraordinary woman who, above all else, exemplified the principles of duty and public service. We have lost our Queen, but we will continue to treasure her memory and we will forever recall the achievements, sacrifice, and love which she showed for all her peoples, her country, and everyone she met around the world.

On a personal note, I was fortunate to meet Her Majesty on several occasions. I will treasure my last meeting with her at Windsor Castle in July of this year, when I was sworn into the Privy Council and received from her the Seals of Office for Northern Ireland.

I wish Her Majesty’s family well, in particular the Prince of Wales, who must now assume his mother’s responsibilities, and to whom I say, God save the King.”

7 September 2022
Vara seeks confirmation from new PM on Northern Ireland Protocol

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Shailesh Vara calls on the new PM to confirm to the EU that the UK’s preferred option in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol is a negotiated settlement, but that if such a settlement is not forthcoming, we will proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

It is standard practice in the European Union that when it cannot get its own way in negotiations with the UK, it plays for time and waits for a new leader who it hopes will take a different view from his or her predecessor. For the sake of clarity, will my right hon. Friend confirm that the UK’s preferred option in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol is a negotiated settlement, but that if such a settlement is not forthcoming, we will proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill which is currently going through Parliament?

The Prime Minister (Elizabeth Truss)

Let me first thank my right hon. Friend for his service as Northern Ireland Secretary. He is absolutely right: we need to resolve the issue of the Northern Ireland protocol. My preference is for a negotiated solution, but it does have to deliver all the things that we set out in the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. What we cannot allow is for this situation to drift, because my No. 1 priority is protecting the supremacy of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement.

Hansard

25 July 2022
Vara visits UK’s largest organic producer R B Organic in Yaxley

Shailesh Vara MP has visited R B Organic based in Yaxley in his constituency. The company is the UK’s largest processor and supplier of organic vegetables, and is a division of Burgess Farms and Produce World.

Mr Vara was joined by Huntingdonshire District Councillors Eric Butler and Kevin Gulson, and they met with Chairman and co-owner of the company William Burgess, and CEO James Barker. A number of issues were discussed, including the increased cost of electricity and the impact of inflation on the company.

Mr Burgess also spoke of the dedication and commitment of his staff, who continued to work throughout the pandemic, ensuring that food continued to reach shops and supermarkets despite the difficult circumstances.

Mr Burgess also mentioned that the additional costs incurred by the company during the pandemic had not been passed onto the consumer.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“It was good to visit R B Organic again and discuss the company’s operation since the start of the pandemic.

“I commend everyone at the company who, despite the dangers of the pandemic, turned up to work to ensure that food reached the nation’s dinner tables.

“As with other businesses, R B Organic is having to deal with the challenges of energy price rises and trying to keep prices low while the cost of living rises.

“I look forward to the company continuing to play a critical role in the supply of food throughout the country.”

Mr Burgess commented:

“It was good to see Shailesh again, and have an opportunity to tell him of the fantastic work done by staff in the recent difficult times.

“I was also very pleased to be able to explain to him some of the difficulties and challenges we are facing as a business in a competitive market. As well as trying to deal with inflation, there is a constant challenge in keeping prices low, despite our increasing costs.

“These are difficult times for the country but we will continue to do our very best to produce good quality fresh food.”

Photo: Cllr Kevin Gulson, Cllr Eric Butler, CEO James Barker, Chairman and co-owner William Burgess, and Shailesh Vara MP.

Shailesh Vara MP visits RB Organic in Yaxley

8 June 2022
Vara meets local rainwater harvesting supplier helping to better use water

Shailesh Vara MP visited Rainwater Harvesting Ltd in Orton Southgate, Peterborough and met with Director Jae Lester and Business Partner Rob Cooper together with Engineering Manager, Richard Lester.

Mr Vara was shown a display model of the technology which is designed for rainwater collection and storage in homes.

Rainwater Harvesting Ltd, established in 2008, designs, manufactures and supplies rainwater harvesting equipment. The process involves using rainwater from the roof, which is then stored in underground tanks and used for, amongst other things, irrigating gardens, washing cars and flushing toilets.

The system can also help to prevent both localised and downstream flooding. The company is the leading supplier to the domestic rainwater harvesting market, helping to relieve stress on mains supply for a sustainable future.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“I was very pleased to visit Rainwater Harvesting and learn about their technology. The company aims to reduce the need for potable water, and thereby conserve natural water resources. The company’s technology is certainly very interesting and I was impressed with its benefit to householders, both financially and ecologically.”

Mrs Lester commented:

“We were delighted to discuss with Mr Vara the valuable contribution that rainwater harvesting makes to society’s increasing demands for water and the related issues regarding water supply for homeowners. 

“It was good to highlight the benefits of utilising a Rainwater Harvesting System by using our demonstration model, showing how the system works, not only for toilets, washing machines and outside use, but also how it helps to prevent flooding.”

Photo: Jae Lester, Shailesh Vara MP and Richard Lester.

Shailesh Vara visits Rainwater Harvesting Ltd with Jae Lester and Richard Lester.

Shailesh Vara visits Rainwater Harvesting Ltd with Jae Lester and Richard Lester.

Shailesh Vara MP with Trustees and Advisory Council in front of Ferrar House