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Gareth Johnson
MP for Dartford

Reporting back from Dartford and Westminster - now reaching over 5,000 people in the local area

May 2023

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Ten Minute Rule Bill

During May, I introduced my Ten Minute Rule Bill, entitled The Aviation Banning Orders (Disruptive Passengers) Bill.
The ten minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes. An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful, the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.

The aim of my Bill is to give Courts the power to ban people who are violent on a flight, from all airlines, for a fixed period of time. At the moment, an airline can ban a passenger from flying with it, but it doesn't stop that person using a different airline. This is because airlines are not able to share passenger information due to data protection laws.

This Bill comes at a time when the aviation industry has seen an increase in the number of disruptive passengers being reported. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of disruptive passenger reports were in the 300's and during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, this number dropped. However, it rose in 2022, with airlines reporting 1,028 disruptive passengers.

Whilst the number of violent incidents on planes is increasing, the figure of 1,028 is arrived at due to one operator opting to report all incidents, where they did not do so previously.

I am introducing this Bill to ensure people who are violent on planes can be banned from being a passenger for a period of time. This power exists in other countries and should be available here too. My Bill would act as a deterrent and ensure those who are violent, particularly towards cabin crew, cannot fly again until their ban expires. The message must be: If you are violent towards staff and passengers on a plane, you are not going to be able to fly.

A video of me introducing my Ten Minute Rule Bill can be played by clicking on the photo above.

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Prime Minister's Questions

In PMQ's, I asked about continued military support for Ukraine. I believe we should be providing whatever military equipment we can to help Ukraine stop Putin's cruel and senseless aggression. To hear my question and the Prime Minister's response, please click on the photo above.

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Home Office questions

In Home Office questions this month, I asked the Minister about protests and the Public Order Bill. I wanted to make the point that whilst protesting is a right, like all rights, it should not be abused. Sadly, we have seen this abuse too often lately. To play the video, please click on the photo above.

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IKEA Distribution Centre

IKEA has recently opened a distribution centre in Dartford, on the site of the old Littlebrook Power Station and I was delighted to visit it and have a tour of this impressive facility.

The 42,000 square metre site has storage capacity of 49,104 cubic metres and will provide faster delivery times to customers who have ordered online across London and the South East, as well as creating around 400 new jobs locally.

IKEA has invested hugely in EV charging, with 106 EV chargers and this site aims to reach 100% zero-emission home deliveries by 2025.

I am pleased IKEA has chosen Dartford as its new base and it was a pleasure to meet the team there and see this facility.

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IKEA Distribution Centre Dartford time-lapse video

To play the video, please click on the photo above.

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IKEA's new Distribution Centre in Dartford

New NHS Community Diagnostic Centre for Dartford

Thousands of patients are set to benefit from the one-stop shop which will carry out a range of tests at the refurbished Livingstone Community Hospital in Dartford.

The new Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CDC will offer access to ultrasound checks and blood tests, along with CT and MRI scans. It is set to open in the Autumn and when fully operational, will carry out over 96,000 tests, checks and scans each year.

Cutting waiting lists is one of the Government's key priorities and this centre will offer people in Dartford a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to their homes. The technology used is amongst some of the latest available and this new centre will be really positive for Dartford.

Darent Valley Hospital

When you walk into Darent Valley Hospital at any given time, there are hundreds, if not more than a thousand staff members working to help you, whether you are an inpatient, attending an appointment, or visiting a friend or relative.

In fact, at the last count, 4,312 people worked at Darent Valley to provide all the services needed to run a hospital. From the medical teams of doctors and nurses caring for patients to the managers, administrators, cleaners and porters helping to service the hospital.

When you walk through the automatic doors into reception, you are hit by the buzz of people working hard to provide an essential service for everyone in need of care in and around Dartford.

What I always notice whenever I walk through those doors, is that I am always greeted by one of the many volunteers offering help and support to anyone who needs it. At the moment, there are 120 active volunteers at DVH, with these people giving their time free to ensure that everyone, both patients and visitors, have a better experience at the hospital.

Darent Valley Hospital is very much a community. The Trust currently has 416 core beds across its sites in Dartford and Queen Mary’s Hospital, plus 55 low acuity beds. The Emergency Department sees an average of 2,626 patients per week and the UTC at Gravesend sees an additional 840 patients per week.

One place which is always busy is the maternity unit, where on average, one baby is born every few hours. Around 90 babies are born every week which means the unit looks after about the same number of mothers, all of whom would have had an average of seven antenatal appointments, including scans.

The number of babies born has grown in the last few years. In 2021 there were 4,460 births compared to 4,864 the following year.

One side of the hospital people rarely see or hear about is the Pathology Department. On a recent visit, I got to see first-hand the vital work that goes on in this department. In the year 2022/23, around 18 million different tests were carried out at DVH. This included more than 900,000 full blood count tests, over 4.1 million routine biochemistry tests and more than 153,000 antimicrobials; to assess antibiotic sensitivity.

These numbers are truly remarkable and give a tiny snapshot of what goes on at our local hospital. We are really fortunate to have so many people working so hard to look after us when we need it.

One last little-known fact: the kitchen teams provide 1,565 meals daily. That is around 65 meals every hour!

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School visits

I am always delighted to visit schools in Dartford and this month I was invited to The Gateway Primary Academy, where I had the chance to see every classroom in action and learn a little about what each year group has been doing.

During my visit, I met young artists who had been using acrylic paints for the first time to recreate Van Gogh's Starry Night and young writers who had written their own versions of the story of The Three Little Pigs.

Year 6 were taking part in an activity where they had to make a model shaduf, which is an ancient irrigation tool. I also met students who read their poetry and showed me about their work studying World War II and their air raid shelter model.

One of the highlights of the visit was the Woodpecker class, which sang 'Lean on Me'.

After my tour, the students had the opportunity to quiz me in the hall (photo above).

I was also delighted to visit Fleetdown Primary Academy, where I was shown the outdoor classroom, which is a new addition for the school. I met with Year 4 students who asked me a range of questions about what my job entails.

If you would like me to visit your school, please contact my office.

Employment figures

In April 2023:

* There were 2,325 actual claimants in Dartford constituency, which was 3.1% of the population aged 16-64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.8%.
* There were 385 claimants aged 18-24, which was 4.9% of the population aged 18-24. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 4.8%.
Over the past year the number of claimants has risen by 95 in Dartford, as shown in the table. The table also shows changes over the last month and since March 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic affected the claimant count.


Unadjusted count in Dartford, April 2023



Aged 16+
Aged 18-24


Claimant count
2,325
385


Change on month
85
5


Change on year
95
20


Change from Mar 2020
690
65



Dartford Borough Council Election results

Local residents voted to return the Conservatives at Dartford Borough Council during the local elections earlier this month.

The number of Councillors from each party was virtually unchanged, which contrasted with the national picture.

Congratulations to all the successful candidates and to Jeremy Kite, Leader of the Council, for continuing to be supported by local people in the work the Council carries out for all Dartfordians.

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Dartford Valley Rugby Football Club visit to Westminster

I was delighted to welcome representatives from Dartford Valley Rugby Football Club to Westminster.

The club is a fantastic, inclusive, community facility in Dartford with teams for men, women and juniors. A link to their website can be found below.

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[Gareth Johnson MP website]<[link removed]>


Gareth Johnson MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
Tel: 0207 219 7047
email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>


Copyright © 2023, Gareth Johnson MP, All rights reserved.




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