Bob Russell

The Government has been urged by Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell to intervene on the threat to 700 Peacocks department stores - including one in Colchester - which are facing the threat of closure.

He made the request during Business Questions in the House of Commons.

Sir Bob pointed out that the Royal Bank of Scotland had been saved by billions of pounds of taxpayers money, with the saving of thousands of jobs for RBS employees, but the publicly-owned bank was now refusing to help Peacocks for which it is the main lender. He said that 10,000 Peacocks jobs were at risk as a result of the RBS pushing Peacocks to the brink of Administration.

Colchester MP, Sir Bob Russell, has told the House of Commons that some of the soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade who have been deployed to Afghanistan will miss out on the Jubilee Medal to commemorate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee because they have not been in the Army for five years which is the minimum to qualify for the Medal.

A bottle of whisky signed by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition has raised £435 towards a target of £10,000 by pupils of Colchester County High School for Girls to build a school in Uganda for 100 children orphaned in civil conflict.

The auction was organised by Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell after he heard about the fund-raising appeal.

In the final Parliamentary debate of 2011, Colchester MP Bob Russell spoke in support of 30,000 Bedouin Arabs who in the coming weeks face being uprooted from their traditional land in Israel and forced into townships.

He accused Israel of being in breach of international law and the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous People.

Following further incidents of lorries getting stuck in the narrow streets of Colchester's historic Dutch Quarter, Town MP Sir Bob Russell has suggested that warning signs should be painted on the road surface in St Peter's Street.

"It is clear that some lorry drivers are not noticing the signs on posts saying that they should not be going in that direction, but they could hardly miss a painted outline of a lorry on the road with a large diagonal red cross painted over it.

More than 20 oak trees grown by Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell from acorns he collected from Castle Park are being offered by him for planting in suitable locations.

Most of them are three-year-old saplings about a foot high, but he also has two trees twice that age which are about three feet high.

Sir Bob has been growing trees for nearly 20 years, and one he grew to commemorate the Centenary of Scouting in 2007 was planted by him at the Eden Centre in Cornwall.

Colchester MP Bob Russell is encouraging people to use the new mobile version of the Charity Commission website, making it easy for people to
check charities' details on their phone before making a donation.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has launched the site, http://m.charitycommission.gov.uk,
specifically designed for use on mobile phones. It means that when people can immediately check if an "organisation" asking for donations is a
registered charity.

Lots of charities fundraise over Christmas, and almost all charity collections are genuine. However, there are some people who will try to abuse the generosity of others for their own gain.

The mobile site, which holds the register of more than 180,000 charities, will help to give members of the public confidence that the money they donate will reach its intended destination.

As well as showing whether a charity is registered with the Charity Commission, the site includes details of what individual charities do and
where they work. It also shows contact details for registered charities, so if people are still unsure whether a collection is genuine they can contact the charity directly to find out.

The site is also useful for charity trustees, providing helpful summaries of their guidance on issues including fundraising and trading.

Mr Russell said: "At a time when charities need every penny to continue their excellent work it is sad that there are those who see giving as a means to steal or misappropriate the intention of the gift made.

"Colchester has a good record of giving, particularly to our Armed Forces charities. I therefore support the Charity Commission's initiative to ensure what we give is received by those it is intended for not to furnish crooks lavish lifestyles."

Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission, added: "Many charities appeal for funds over the festive period and they currently need the public's donations more than ever. But give smartly; make sure your money is going to a genuine registered charity.

"The Charity Commission new mobile site will help you quickly check that the charity asking for your money is a proper registered charity. The site also provides useful information about individual charities so you can see what a charity will do with your money."

Dame Suzi said that in addition to double-checking details of street charity collections, she also encourages people making donations to watch out for e-mail scams and fake websites.

"If you are suspicious of any appeals for donations, always check the charity registration number on the Charity Commission site or contact the
charity directly."

Mr Bryn Parry, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Help for Heroes, said: "This is a fantastic initiative that will certainly reassure supporters that
their hard-earned money is going exactly where it should.

"During the Christmas period it is so important to remember those that are going through a tough time, and anything that makes charitable giving a safer, more straightforward process is welcomed by Help for Heroes."

A 76 per cent increase in the number of people on apprenticeships in Colchester has been welcomed by Town MP Bob Russell.

The figure for the last financial year was 830, up from 470 in the previous year.

Earlier this month Deputy Prime Minister Mr Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, visited the Colchester Institute to further promote the
Coalition Government's apprenticeship programme.

Mr Russell said: "We all acknowledge that these are challenging times, particularly for youth unemployment, so it is a tribute to local employers
and others that they have embraced the Coalition Government's measures to boost the number of apprenticeships. This gives encouragement for the future."