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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.

December 2023


"Welcome to my latest bulletin. I hope you enjoy reading what I have been doing recently in Dartford and Westminster."


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Announcing my ULEZ Bill

I was recently selected as 13th in the Private Members' Bill ballot and I announced on BBC Politics South East that my Bill is to overturn the ULEZ expansion, which came into force in August 2023.

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Presenting my ULEZ Bill to Parliament
I was pleased to present my Private Members' Bill 'The Greater London Low Emission Zone Charging (Amendment) Bill', to Parliament on 6th December.

Anyone who drives a car into London that does not meet the emission rules has to pay £12.50 a day and this is an unfair stealth tax on the people of Dartford and across the South East, hitting the poorest the hardest.

Expanding ULEZ was not in the Mayor's manifesto or in his Transport Strategy and the consultation on the expansion showed that people did not want it.

If it is not talked out, my Bill will overturn the ULEZ expansion and its second reading is on 22nd March 2024.
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Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill - 2nd reading
I have campaigned vigorously on the issue of Property Management Companies in Parliament on behalf of constituents in Dartford who have contacted me about inflated fees and poor services. Having welcomed the news in the King's Speech that a law was being introduced to stop householders being exploited by punitive charges, I was delighted to take part in a debate on the Government’s new Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill during second reading
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Gurkhas' petition

Gurkhas in the UK, who retired from service before July 1997, receive their pensions from the Gurkha Pension Scheme, which is based on the Indian Army Model and falls short of that received by their British counterparts. I was pleased, therefore, to present a petition at Downing Street, along with Corporals Ghale and Rai, asking that urgent consideration be given to uprating the pensions of all Gurkhas who retired before 1997.

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Dartford's new Community Diagnostic Centre
To reduce pressure on the NHS and improve patient care, the Government is funding hundreds of new community diagnostic centres in local areas. Receiving £2.3 billion in funding, new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will reduce the need for hospital visits, lessening pressure on the NHS.
I was recently invited to visit Dartford's new £19.6m Community Diagnostic Centre at the Livingstone Hospital on East Hill.
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Dartford Armed Forces and Veterans' Christmas Lunch

Dartford Armed Forces and Veterans' Breakfast Club are a group of veterans and serving members of His Majesty's Armed Forces, who meet on the second Saturday of each month. This month, they held their Christmas Lunch and it was a pleasure to attend and see so many veterans there.

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The Growler Stop
I am always interested to visit small businesses in Dartford and the latest one I have visited is The Growler Stop in Westgate House, Dartford (on the site of the old Avis Car Rental). This tap room and off licence was established in 2021 and has a wide range of premium quality craft beer for people to drink in the pub or fill growlers to take home.
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Wellbeing Link
I was invited to visit Wellbeing Link which is an organisation launched in 2014 to help local people who are living in isolation with life threatening health issues. This group has weekly meetings at St Anselm's Parish Hall every Friday and they take part in a whole host of activities.
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What does it take to deliver the Downing Street Christmas tree? Click on the photo above to watch the video.

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Happy Christmas!

All that remains for me to say to wrap up 2023 is that I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Gareth Johnson MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 7047
email: [email protected]<mailto:[link removed]>

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