Jo debated bankers' pay, bonuses and honours with Labour MP, Chris Leslie, on BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster.

Jo reminded Chris that the RBS contract was inherited from Labour, but agreed that "it is certainly the case that the banking community has managed to extract very large rents from the privileged position they occupy in our economy.  We have the problem of too big to fail – this Government has set about putting in place a regulatory framework that addresses the big underlying problems."

However, Jo said that it was wrong to "vilify a particular profession or group of people", which he described as a "completely immature response" to today's challenges.

On corporate pay, Jo said: "Government cannot be micromanaging every single board in the country.  If you have any understanding of how corporate governance actually works in this country, you would know that shareholders elect the board members, who in turn appoint remuneration committees.  It's not working perfectly, but I don't think what we need in this country is to have politicians second-guessing the decisions of boardrooms.  It is not in the interests of British business to have souped-up MPs deciding how people should be paid.  This Government has done more to address the failures of corporate governance in this country in the last 18 months than the previous Government did in 13 years – for example, making a vote on pay mandatory."

When questioned on the issue of honours, Jo explained: "The forfeiture committee can look at these people any time" if there is "compelling evidence they  brought the honours system into disrepute.  This committee exists in order to be independent of government.  We don't want to suddenly create a system that would be totally dependent on Government patronage – that would be a massive step back"

To listen to the entire programme click here

Joseph Johnson: It is clearly welcome news that India came off the fence and supported the resolution, marking an end to three decades of that country's ties with the Assad family. To what extent did New Delhi seek to dilute the final text so that it made no mention of automatic measures in the event of non-compliance?

Mr Hague: Like my hon. Friend, I welcome the fact that India voted for the resolution. It is true that several countries on the Security Council wanted a resolution that did not go beyond the draft resolution as it was put to the vote on Saturday. Certainly, India is one country that would not have wanted a stronger resolution with the authorisation of sanctions or other measures. I stress that the prime negotiations in the Security Council were always with Russia. The objections raised and amendments put forward came from Russia primarily, rather than from India, South Africa or Pakistan.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Joseph Johnson: Will my right hon. Friend give an update on recent progress she has made in reforming the Criminal Records Bureau status checks regime?

Mrs May: I am happy to give an update. We are, of course, completely changing the way in which the Criminal Records Bureau, and the previous Independent Safeguarding Agency, operate. We are creating a new bureau that will ensure that those who need to be checked will be checked and, unlike under the previous Government, many people who are volunteers helping in their community will not have their records checked.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo has welcomed the announcement by the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, that a grant of £1.5bn is to be made available to help the South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT), along with 6 other hospital trusts in England, meet their private finance initiative (PFI) payments. 

Jo said: "I know this decision will be meet with some relief in my constituency, where residents have been increasingly concerned by budgetary constraints at the Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary's sites.   Labour left the SLHT with a PFI repayment of £66.8m for 2012-13, which risked crippling local healthcare provision. 

"This is partial but welcome progress in resolving the funding issues at the SLHT, but I am grateful to the minister and I look forward to working with my him and his colleagues to continue reform of PFI. At the same time, I call on the Department to help resolve ongoing questions at Orpington Hospital and end the uncertainty for residents and NHS staff "

The deadline has passed for letters of objection by residents who oppose a proposed new cemetery at Keston.  Letters had to be received by the planning inspectorate by Tuesday.  

Last year Bromley Council rejected a planning application for the cemetery complete with 70 car parking spaces on agracultural land off Downe Road.  The applicat, Aamer Waheed, of Wasall, has appealed its decision and the plan will now be considered by the planning inspector.  

The council turned down the plans as the site is on green belt land, a proposed world heritage site and due to flood risk concerns.  Adrian Stoneham, who lives in Downe Road, said: "It is an outstandingly attractive piece of land."

Orpington Conservative MP Jo Johnson is also opposing the plan and has written with his concerns.  

Joseph Johnson: I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to trade deals with fast-growing parts of the world. An ambitious trade deal between the EU and India, which would help us double our trade with India by 2015, has eluded negotiators since 2007. Does he agree that next week's EU-India summit in Delhi should see a clear timetable for the delivery of an ambitious deal as soon as possible?

The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is entirely right, and I know that he has a lot of experience in this sphere. We are totally committed to trying to get this free trade agreement going. I think that there are real opportunities for both sides. I have mentioned the fact that we want to open up retail and services in banking and insurance in India. Frankly, we will have to do quite a lot of work to convince the Indians that that is in their interests too, but I profoundly believe that it is, as they want to be a rapidly growing success story of the future.

To see the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo appeared on Newsnight with Jeremy Paxman last night to discuss the ongoing crisis in the eurozone.  

Jo said: "I think it's great [European leaders] are focusing on competitiveness as closely as they are because the eurozone is going to shrink by perhaps one percentage point of GDP this year and we're acutely exposed to that here in the UK.  

"So measures to deregulate, to exempt small businesses from new regulation, to strike new trade deals with countries such as Kores - there's one in India to be discussed in Delhi in 10 days time - is great news."  

On the UK's role, Jo explained: "The key thing is that Britain is part of the solution - we're at the table, contributing new ideas.  The fiscal pact has now created political space for Angela Merkel to do what she needs to do in terms of giving greater resources to the bailout funds - to eventually looking at the possibility of eurobonds.  Britain's overriding interest is truly protected - putting the single market front and centre.  Furthermore, it's in our interest to make sure the eurozone gets back on its feet financially."  

To watch the full episode of Newsnight click here

Joseph Johnson: Does the Minister realise that he could help businesses, as well as households, to reduce their energy bills, by introducing mandatory motion-sensitive lighting systems? That would reduce the carbon intensity of our built environment and promote the ability of many people to enjoy starry, starry nights.

Gregory Barker: That is just the kind of technology that will be brought into the reach of millions of homes by the green deal, and it is just the kind of innovation that we want to spur. We would also look at how we might drive that by making amendments to consequential improvements. I am very interested in my hon. Friend's ideas.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo said: "Along with the residents of Downe Road, I am deeply concerned that plans for a burial ground in their backyard have been resubmitted for appeal.  I wrote to Bromley's Chief Planner, Bob McQuillan, last April to express my strong objections to the proposals, and call on the Council to respect the wishes of my constituents who do not want to see a cemetery on this lovely spot of greenbelt land and historic site of Charles Darwin's home.  I have been working with Cllr Richard Scoates on this matter, and have written again to Mr McQuillan, as well as the Bristol Planning Inspectorate, to restate my concerns."

Jo went on the local radio yesterday in support of skating enthusiasts Charlotte Jones, from Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, and Ellie Walker, from Dartford Grammar School, who want to see an ice rink on the site of the old Orpington library.  

Currently, the nearest rink is 40 minutes away in Gillingham.  The young pupils have already collected over 100 signatures on paper and have also launch an online petitition.  

After meeting Charlotte and Ellie, he said: "It really is wonderful to see young people getting involved in politics and taking ownership of their community."  He has invited them to see the Director of Renewal and  Recreation Services for the London Borough of Bromley, Marc Hume,  to discuss the idea.  

A retired businessman has lost his High Court battle against extradition to the United States, where he faces charges of conspiring to sell parts for Iranian missiles.

Christopher Tappin, 64, of Farnborough Park, Orpington, denies unlawfully attempting to export batteries for Hawk air defence missiles and says he was the victim of entrapment in an FBI "sting".  However, two judges sitting in London ruled that the entrapment argument was "unsustainable" and it would not be "oppressive" to extradite him.

The president of the all-Kent Golf Club Union is wanted in El Paso, Texas, for allegedly trying to conduct business without obtaining the appropriate licences for "defence articles".

Orpington MP Jo Johnson told News Shopper: "The extradition law is complex and the government has committed to reviewing whether the US/UK extradition treaty needs to be reviewed or not.  I am confident that they will be looking closely at arguments made in favour of reform."

To read the full article click here

Orpington MP, Jo Johnson, has been promoted in the House of Commons.  The Conservative Party announced Mr Johnson will act as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise.  

Mr Johnson said: "I am thrilled to be joining Mark Prisk as his PPS and I look forward to supporting him in his vital role delivering sustainable, shared and balanced growth right across the UK.  This means reducing regulation, investing in skills, and promoting trade with new and emerging markets."

Mr Johnson, who was elected to this seat at the general election in 2010, is a former editor of the Financial Times' Lex newspaper column, which is highly regarded in the world of global finance and commerce.  He is the youngest brother of London Mayor Boris.  

To see times and dates for future surgeries click here

Jo handed out trophies to the winning students as the chief guest at the Tata Crucible UK Campus Quiz 2011.  Roughly 250 students and Tata guests took part, and Jo was joined by Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover.

The winning team were presented by Jo with Tata Crucible Trophies, £4,000, all expenses paid trip to India to participate in the International Final plus an iPod Touch, Titan Fastrack watch & sunglasses for each team member. 

In India the quiz is a huge event – with 16 regional rounds and a televised international final in Mumbai.   Tata Crucible Quiz is a part of the Tata group's engagement with the youth as a knowledge initiative to encourage lateral associations, speed of thought and out-of-the-box thinking. The quiz seeks to bring together the sharpest young minds to take on the heat of a tough business quiz.

It made its debut in India in 2004-05 and generated a huge response in the first year.  It has now become an annual event, held separately for corporates and campuses each year.  The Tata Crucible Campus Quiz made its international debut with the Singapore edition in 2007 and has been running successfully for the last 5 years.  The UK edition was launched successfully in 2008 and has been running annually since then.

To learn more about Tata Crucible UK click here

The Conservative Party has announced the that Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, will act as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise. 

Jo said: "I am thrilled to be joining Mark Prisk as his PPS and I look forward to supporting him in his vital role delivering sustainable, shared and balanced growth right across the UK.  This means reducing regulation, improving access to finance for SMEs, investing in skills, and promoting trade with new and emerging markets."

Jo spoke to a large audience at the TEDx Gateway conference in Mumbai on Sunday 27 November 2011, on the topic of "Should Asia help the eurozone?" 

To watch the full video click here

David Cameron has handed a prized promotion to Boris Johnson's younger brother.  The Mayor of London's musings have proved to be a regular annoyance to the Prime Minister since he took office. But in an apparent attempt to keep at least one Johnson on side, he has made Jo Johnson, who entered the Commons at the last election, the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Mark Prisk, the Business Minister

The move will see the MP for Orpington, a former investment banker and respected financial journalist, assist a ministerial team tasked with finding ways to nurse the economy back to health.

Finding jobs for the talented members of the 2010 intake has proved a headache for Tory whips. The need to hand Government posts to Lib Dems as a result of the coalition has meant spare positions have been few and far between.  Louise Mensch, the vivaciousTory MP for Corby, joked in a magazine interview this week that she needed to ask the party whips what she needed to do to be given a PPS job.

However, Mr Johnson has impressed the leadership with his compelling defence of the City of London and his willingness to speak up about the need to safeguard Britain's trading relationship with Europe.  Boris Johnson, seen as the main rival to George Osborne as the next Tory leader, pleased the Tory grassroots last month by pushing for a referendum on a new EU Treaty.

After just 18 months as an MP Jo Johnson has been given a parliamentary private secretary post. Mr Johnson was elected as MP for Orpington in the May 2010 general election and last night (January 3) appointed in his new role.

As well as representing his constituents he is now also the parliamentary private secretary to the minister of state for business and enterprise Mark Prisk MP.

Orpington Conservative Association chairman Brian Cooke said: "We are delighted that our very hard working and well respected MP has been appointed to the Government only just over 18 months after being first elected to the House of Commons.  Having worked closely with Jo I know that he will bring great skill and tact to this role and we in Orpington are delighted for Jo in this promotion."

To see the full article click here

Jo has thanked Borough Commander, Charles Griggs, for his five years of service to Bromley, and has wished him well in his new job as Commander for Southwark.

Since taking on the role in January 2007, Borough Commander Griggs has overseen a massive 26% reduction in crime, with there now being 7,644 fewer victims of crime a year than when he took over. Robbery has fallen by 35% during this time, theft of motor vehicles by 41%, theft from motor vehicles by 38% and burglary by 13%.

Jo said: "On behalf of all my constituents, I am enormously grateful for Charles's tireless efforts, which have made a real difference to the streets of Orpington, as well as for his leadership during last summer's riots that spared Bromley from the worst of the disturbances.  I wish him the best in Southwark, and I warmly welcome his successor, Stephanie Roberts, to Bromley and look forward to meeting with her to hear her plans for building on Charles's progress."

To read more about the Metropolitan Police in Bromley click here

As we enter 2012, I know this will be a time for many people to reflect on a difficult year. 

I am extremely grateful to all my constituents who have consistently opened their doors to me and I have been humbled by Orpington's strong sense of community– from the Royal Wedding street parties to the summer fêtes, from the extraordinary work of groups like Bromley Mind and Harris Hospiscare to the resolve of residents in response to the disgusting acts of wanton looting and thuggery that hit our streets during the summer.

In Parliament, I have campaigned alongside constituents on issues including securing a fairer funding deal for Bromley Council, seeking the inclusion of local media in the London Olympics, and alerting ministers to the dangers on our roads of sleep disorders and drug driving.

Over the next year, I will continue working with colleagues to protect the British economy from the headwinds from the eurozone, reorient our economy to new emerging markets and promote the financial sector's importance to London.

To read the full article click here

Next month's Franco-British collôque will provide much-needed group therapy for a relationship in crisis. The easy part will be where UK delegates reiterate their commitment to an open and competitive Europe, highlighting the vital national interest in the single market, destination for half of all British exports. This gathering of politicians, business leaders, civil servants and opinion formers will be able to agree that London's position as a top destination for inward investment owes much to EU membership, and that Britain would be taking a big risk if it signalled it was on a glide path out of the EU.

The much more difficult part will be to persuade the French, if not to love the City, at least to recognise how much it has changed since 2008. The scale of British-based banks (with balance sheets five times UK GDP) and the risk they posed to UK taxpayers left the British government no choice but to take early unilateral action. By adopting measures such as the bank levy and now the Vickers report – which demands higher levels of bank capital and ring-fencing of retail banks from their investment banks – Britain is already implementing more radical reforms than those demanded by European regulators.

Jo recently spoke at the annual gala dinner for the Indian Journalists Association, where he released their annual yearbook.  Before becoming an MP, Jo was the FT's award-winning South Asia bureau chief. Based in New Delhi between 2005 and 2008, he led the team of FT journalists that covered India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.

To see more photos from the event, click here

Jo Johnson: As the Christmas period approaches and we enter a new year, I know this will be a time for many people in Orpington to reflect on a difficult year. 

Of the many issues I have been involved with this year, I know that residents are particularly concerned by ongoing uncertainty over the future of Orpington Hospital and I remain committed to ensuring that there be no net loss of locally-delivered services in Orpington. Despite the shocking riots in August, I'm glad that crime figures in Bromley have fallen by 14 per cent since 2008, even if anti-social behaviour remains a blight for too many.

I am grateful for the extraordinary warmth and support my constituents have shown, and I have been humbled by Orpington's strong sense of community– from the Royal Wedding street parties to the summer fêtes, from the extraordinary work of groups like Bromley Mind and Harris Hospice Care to the resolve of residents in response to the disgusting acts of wanton looting and thuggery that hit our streets during the summer. 

In Parliament, I have campaigned alongside constituents on issues including securing a farer funding deal for Bromley Council, seeking the inclusion of local media in the London Olympics, and alerting ministers to the dangers on our roads of sleep disorders and drug driving.   Over the next year, I will continue working with colleagues to protect the British economy from the headwinds from the eurozone, reorient our economy to new emerging markets and promote the financial sector's importance to London.

I wish all the readers of the Bromley Times a very merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012. 

La guerre des mots entre la France et la Grande-Bretagne a démarré depuis plusieurs jours maintenant. Elle est une honte pour nos deux pays, et créé un risque majeur de division, alors que nous vivons l'une des périodes les plus dramatiques de notre histoire depuis les années 1930.

Avant d'examiner au fond notre désaccord, sur la City et sur l'Europe, regardons ce qui nous rassemble, et ce que nous risquons de perdre dans cette guerre absurde.

D'abord, ce n'est pas parce que la Grande-Bretagne souhaite rester en dehors de la future union fiscale entre 26 pays, qu'elle va diminuer son engagement dans l'Union Européenne. Le Royaume-Uni entend être membre à part entière d'une Europe ouverte, compétitive avec le reste du monde, et dont le marché uni représente la moitié de ses exportations. Si Londres attire autant de capitaux du monde entier, c'est en grande partie aussi grâce à son appartenance à l'UE. Mettre la Grande-Bretagne sur une trajectoire de sortie de l'UE, c'est mettre en péril l'économie britannique toute entière, qui a besoin de ces flux de capitaux pour se développer.

Jo appeared on Impact Asia on BBC World News to discuss the ongoing crisis in the eurozone and the Prime Minister's decision to veto changes to the EU treaty. 

Jo argued that the fiscal pact was not sufficient.  He said: "The most important indicator of the vulnerability of eurozone countries going into this crisis was not their public deficit or their public debts – it was their current account deficits – their trade deficits. Those remain. The fiscal pact that was negotiated over the weekend did not address the fundamental issue of these ongoing trade imbalances, which leave peripheral eurozone countries so vulnerable to sudden changes of heart in international capital flows."

Jo said that he didn't see it as a problem that the UK was not signed up to the fiscal pact, pointing out that "it is possible for different countries to do different things at different times within the overall framework of the single market", as happened when Britain opted out of the eurozone and the Schengen border-free travel zone.  Jo added: "I think the critical point is, and what I'm sure David Cameron will be wanting to emphasise, is that Britain remains a powerful voice in the EU for an open, single market. We are in the single market, we are not leaving the EU, and we remain open for business for all companies around the world to continue to invest in the UK as they have been over the years."

Jo argued that there is work to do to ensure "our European partners really see that having a deep and liquid capital centre planted in the EU is a great European success story that we would be very foolish to jeopardise through hasty regulation", much as "German luxury-car making or the French wine and aerospace industries" are cherished and promoted in the EU.

To watch the clip in full click here

Jo discussed the economy with Bromley businesses as part of a series of business breakfasts organised by the South East London Chamber of Commerce.  The event was held at Bromley Football Club. 

At the breakfast, Jo spoke about the state of the UK economy, the euro zone crisis, the need to protect the City from vengeful measures coming out of Brussels, what the British Government is doing to boost growth and create jobs and what the Chancellor is doing to support bank lending to small businesses.  He also took the opportunity to listen to the concerns and challenges facing local businesses. 

To learn more about the South East London Chamber of Commerce click here

A hospital is celebrating the 1,000th birth since its new unit opened a year ago.  Freya was born at the Princess Royal University Hospital on Thursday December 1 and her parents Vikki and Adrian Denbow from Elmstead Woods were delighted when they learned she was the new Oasis birthing Unit's 1,000th delivery. 

The new baby, who arrived at about 7pm, was given a Winnie the Pooh bear, and her mother Vikki was presented with flowers by the team of proud midwives.  Vikki said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support we've received here and utterly delighted that our daughter has made her mark on the world already."  The baby was delivered by midwife Julie Holton who coincidentally also delivered the first and 100th baby at the unit.  Donna Ockenden, chief midwife at the hospital in Farnborough Common said: "Congratulations to Vikki and Adrian on the birth of your beautiful baby girl, and congratulations to the midwives on the Oasis Unit on reaching this number of births during a very successful first year." 

Orpington MP Conservative Jo Johnson visited staff to congratulate them on Freya's safe delivery.

Primary school children spent a day quizzing Orpington MP Jo Johnson about life in Parliament.  The Conservative MP visited Farnborough Primary School after pupils wrote him letters asking to support the Send My Sister to School scheme.

The national scheme, which calls on the government to fund education for girls in third world countries, is supported by the school in Farnborough Hill every year.

Mr Johnson took the opportunity to look around the school and talk to the children about life as an MP.

Headteacher Paula Farrow said: "It was lovely having him here at the school.  It was good of him to come and spend some time with us. All the children were very excited."

To see the full article click here

Chelsfield primary school children celebrated their school's 60th anniversary with a special day of festivities.  As well as remembering the past, the Highways Primary School also opened a new school building.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson joined children for a balloon release to start the day. He said: "It is an honour to open the new building of Highways Primary School, and to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

"The children and the local community have a very special school here, and the new building will enable the school to go from strength to strength."

The school also opened its doors to members of the public who were able to view special demonstrations, including one from BBC Countryfile's James Wong who showed people how to grow their own food in the school's eco-garden.  Headteacher Susan Kenneth said: "We're tremendously excited to be celebrating our 60th anniversary, and what better way than to show our beautiful new school building off to our local community."

To see the full article click here

Jo co-hosted a black-tie dinner for the Pakistan Recovery Fund at the Natural History Museum alongside BBC newsreader Mishal Husain and HRH The Prince of Wales. 

Jo said that he was moved by the overwhelming response to the continued suffering of the Pakistani people, and thanked the commitment of Prince Charles to relieving their plight.  Almost two million homes were destroyed and nearly 20 million people were affected by the disaster, described as the worst floods in recent history.

The Prince is the founder of The Pakistan Recovery Fund, which was established in January 2011 to raise funds for projects managed by the British Asian Trust, one of the Charles's charities, which helps those affected by the devastating floods which hit Pakistan last summer.  In a speech to about 300 guests, Charles said: "Despite the scale of devastation, the level of suffering and the level of need, the story seems to vanish all too quickly from the headlines as the world's attention turns to disaster and destruction elsewhere. Yet the suffering in Pakistan goes on."

To learn more about the Pakistan Recovery Fund click here

Following the outbreak of a fire at SITEC Ltd last Saturday, there have been fears over the impact of water runoff from the waste management site into Ruxley Lakes. 

In a statement, MP for Orpington, Jo Johnson, said: "I am deeply concerned about the impact this incident may be having on the fisheries and biodiversity of the lakes.   The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is cherished by local residents and the Orpington and District Angling Association.  I am very grateful to the firemen and women who did a terrific job in quickly putting out the fire and ensuring that no one was injured. 

"I have been in contact with the Environmental and Health Protection Agencies and have been assured that there is no significant risk to public health.  I will continue to monitor all developments closely." 

On the PM programme on Radio 4 today, Jo argued that it is in Europe's interest to celebrate the City of London as a global finance centre and that more must be done in Brussels to promote and cherish London's success. 

He warned against any vengeful and retributive measures such as the impostion of a Financial Transaction Tax, which, by the European Commission's own estimates, would cost the EU 1.76 per cent of its GDP.  Jo said that London's success is Europe's success and that it would be insane to let the City, which brings Europe benefits including cheaper credit and greater capital, migrate out of the EU. 

Jo discussed the ongoing crisis in the eurozone on Newsnight last night with Jeremy Paxman and Katinka Barysch, from the Centre for European Reform.

Jo said that the Merkel-Sarkozy fiscal pact is "just one part of a multi-step solution and Standard & Poor's reaction illustrates the fact that France and Germany actually don't have much credibility when it comes to enforcing fiscal rules. I remember when I was a Paris correspondent back in 2004 or 2005 when they were the original sinners – when they broke the rules – so this fiscal pact needs to be reinforced and it need to be reinforced in a number of ways: we need to have collective borrowing mechanisms, and we need to see the European Financial Stability Facility financed by the European Central Bank or we need to see eurobonds".

When Paxman asked him about the repatriation of powers from Brussels, Jo responded: "Certainly there are commitments to repatriating certain powers such as the working time directive. That's in the coalition Programme for Government so I'm sure that if the opportunity arises, David Cameron will pursue it."

Jo denied that the British are irrelevant in Europe and bring nothing to the table, adding: "We're one of the largest economies in the EU and our voice for the liberalisation of the single market is powerful and heard and very much appreciated." Focussing on potential attacks on the City, Jo argued: "I think Britain needs to have more self confidence and say: 'Let's win each argument on its merits'. George Osborne did that to fantastic effect last week in Brussels with the Financial Transaction Tax when that was clearly against European interests and he effectively batted it off".

To watch the full episode of Newsnight click here

British diplomacy will soon be tested to the limit as the government defends London's interests in the face of a welter of new regulations that will shape the financial services industry for a generation. After the worst financial crisis in living memory, there is no doubt that more effective supervision of financial markets is needed.

In adopting the Vickers Report's recommendations, the UK is already at the forefront of profound changes. It must now ensure that European policymakers recognise the City of London's value to the European economy and limit the damage that badly-constructed, over-zealous and seemingly retributive regulation might do to it.

Yet in defending Britain's national interest, David Cameron must resist populist pressure to drape the City in a Union flag. Instead, the prime minister should encourage European colleagues to recognise that the City – a global centre with a critical mass of people and technology – is a precious European asset. It needs to be cherished and promoted, much like the German car industry or the French aerospace sector.

Jo visited the Oasis Birthing Unit in the Princess Royal University Hospital earlier today, where he congratulated staff on the delivery of the unit's 1,000th birth since it first opened on 8 December 2010. 

Jo said: "I was hugely impressed by the state-of-the-art Oasis Unit and was thrilled to be there on a momentous week for the ward.  I offer my warmest wishes to parents Vikki and Adrian on the birth of their daughter, Freya.  I welcome the Government's commitment to improving women's experience of maternity care and offering families a broader choice of services – and I am pleased that Oasis fully reflects that goal."  

The midwife-led unit , equipped with five en-suite birthing rooms and two birthing pools, provides a calm and homely environment for low-risk births. South London NHS Healthcare Trust has the third best maternity safety record in London and has halved the number of serious incidents over the past 12 months. It has recruited 70 more midwives recruited in the past year; has a 15% transfer rate at the Oasis Unit (half the rate of many units across England); and a 22 per cent caesarean section rate (the 3rd lowest in London).  

This comes in the same week, in which the Dr Foster Good Hospital Guide produced a report which said that the South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) hospitals have significantly lower mortality rates than the national average.

To see the full national table on the BBC website click here

Jo spoke to a huge audience at the TEDx Gateway conference in Mumbai on Sunday, on the topic of "Should Asia help the eurozone?" 

In his speech, Jo outlined the history and ideas behind "the huge historical project" of the European Union, and where it all went wrong, highlighting the decision to create a common currency without a common treasury, the strains of a one-size-fits-all policy and the fact that European institutions turned a blind eye to fiscal slippage.  He also explained that Asian competition had undermined the European social model of a lavish welfare state, restrictive labour practices and subsidies for farmers.

Jo acknowledged the temptation to find a 'dragon-ex-machina' that would rescue the eurozone from its current crisis, pointing out that China has enormous foreign exchange reserves, millions of Chinese jobs depend on European demand, and that it is in China's strategic interest to see the euro as a rival reserve currency to the US dollar.  But he said that there was a weak moral and political case since the eurozone had a per capita GDP quadruple that of China.  Jo concluded that only the eurozone can save itself, by allowing the European Central Bank to act as lender of last resort and making Europe competitive again. 

You can watch Jo's speech here

Joseph Johnson: Hard-working commuters and others in Orpington who depend on Southeastern trains have for years been hit by a fare increase regime of RPI plus 3%. May I therefore welcome my right hon. Friend's decision to cap rail increases at RPI plus 1%, which will provide hard-working families with much needed support in these difficult times?

Mr Osborne: I welcome my hon. Friend's support. I hope that this measure will help people living in Orpington who commute into London to work and that it will really enable us to help local people at this difficult time with their costs of living.

To read the full Transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Joseph Johnson: Does the Foreign Secretary want to welcome the announcement by New Delhi on Friday of the partial opening up of the vast Indian retail sector to foreign supermarket groups such as Tesco, which has been a key objective of UK commercial diplomacy for many years?

Mr Hague: Yes, my hon. Friend points to a very important development. We have long advocated the liberalising and the opening up of the Indian economy. This will be vastly beneficial to the people of India and to the growth of trade. We want to see progress made on a free trade agreement between India and the whole of the European Union.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo said: "I welcome the Chancellor's announcement in today's statement that fares will be capped at inflation plus 1%, rather than inflation plus 3% from 1 January 2012 - the first time this has been the case since 2006.  This is good news for Southeastern commuters, who have faced disproportionately high increases for six years, but I will continue to press the franchise to deliver greater value for money for rail users.

"I was equally delighted by the Government's plans to help struggling motorists by scrapping a planned 3p fuel duty rise in January and reducing a rise from 5p to 3p in August.  I know that this will be extremely welcome in Orpington where soaring fuel prices are having a punishing effect on families and businesses.  Together with cancelling the annual fuel tax escalator and cutting fuel duty by 1p in the 2011 budget, the Government's action means fuel prices are 10p a litre lower than they would have been under Labour."

Jo met with the Biggin Hill Residents Association last Friday, where he listened to members' concerns and gave a brief talk on his first 18 months in Parliament, the crisis in the eurozone and the British economy. 

In a two-speed world, in which the south and east power ahead while the old Euro-Atlantic world slumps back into recession, there is no nothing to dictate that Britain must stay in the slow lane of economic recovery. That's why, although by instinct suspicious of the Heseltinian tradition of herding businessmen onto aeroplanes bound for faraway countries, George Osborne and David Cameron have spearheaded the new commercial diplomacy, leading high profile trade delegations to India, Japan and Turkey, establishing the new Trade and Investment cabinet subcommittee, chaired by Lord Green, and giving commerce greater prominence in the FCO.

But, as September's data underline, if exports are to play their designated role as a motor for recovery, we need to work harder to re-orient our fossilised trade patterns, which have been shaped by centuries of history, geography and culture, and galvanise risk-averse SMEs into rising to the challenge of competing in overseas markets.  The overall trade deficit hit an 11-month high, while the trade in goods deficit was the largest on record.  With eurozone demand in freefall, surveys unsurprisingly point to further falls in exports over coming months.  Resurrecting the hope of export-led growth will be a considerable challenge, for many reasons. 

To read the full article click here

Jo visited the sites of Biggin Hill-based Autoflame Ltd, manufacturers of combustion management systems, and their suppliers, Limpsfield Ltd, on Friday.  In July of this year, Jo nominated Autoflame for inclusion in the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group's "Made By Britain" map, which hopes to address the reputational problems facing the manufacturing sector by drawing up a diverse and comprehensive picture of contemporary British industry.

He said: "I was inspired to see first hand an example of thriving, cutting-edge manufacturing in the constituency, supporting over a hundred local jobs, providing vocational training to young people through apprenticeship programmes and proving that the UK can remain a competitive exporter, not only to our traditional markets in Europe and North America, but also to emerging economies in Asia and Latin America.  With its network of Technology Centres operating in over 50 countries, Autoflame provides a model for export-led growth. We had an open discussion about the difficulties for enterprises in accessing credit, exporting overseas and finding young employees with the right skills". 

For more information on Autoflame and Limpsfield click here and here

 

Ahead of the 2011 Autumn Statement, six leading MPs from the 2010 Conservative Party intake put forward radical proposals to stimulate economic growth in Growth, growth, growth: new ideas for growth and prosperity in the 21st century, published by the Centre for Policy Studies on Friday 18 November.

In International Trade and Growth, Jo Johnson MP recognises that, while the problems of increasing exports to the BRIC countries must not be underestimated, a commitment to an 'enhanced partnership' between the UK and India can be a model for Britain's engagement with other fast-growing emerging markets. In relation to UK-India trade, the Coalition could do all it can to promote its interests in the EU-India FTA; should do more to encourage SME exports to India; should develop runway capacity in the south east to be able to improve transport connections with all BRIC countries; should develop a partnership relationship for aid policy; and should do more to build closer relationships with the élite, Indian students and large Indian companies

To read Jo's contribution click here

Orpington MP Jo Johnson was among the hundreds of local people who turned out to pay their respects to Britain's fallen heroes.

Speaking after last Sunday's remembrance service, organised by Royal British Legion Orpington Branch, he said: "I was proud to attend the service of remembrance in Orpington and to pay my respects at the grave of Ivy Millichamp, the last civilian killed in the UK by enemy action in WWII. I am grateful to the Royal British Legion, as well as the vicar of All Saints church, Brian McHenry, for their hard work in organising such a fitting service in remembrance of our brave servicemen and women."

On March 27, 1945 a young married lady, 34-year-old Ivy Millichamp was in her kitchen at 88 Kynaston Road, Orpington. A V2 landed, killing Ivy, who was dragged by her husband from the wreckage of their home. The bomb crater was 40ft across, 20ft deep. She was laid to rest at All Saints' church, Orpington. Her headstone there records that she was "the last person in Britain to be killed by enemy action."

To read the full article click here

Jo has welcomed news of additional early morning and late evening trains from Orpington.  Southeastern, the franchise which currently operates trains through Orpington, Petts Wood, St Mary Cray Rail, Chelsfield and Knockholt stations, said that the increase was in response to passenger requests.  In particular, on weekdays there will be an extra morning service into Charing Cross departing Orpington at 0515 as well as an evening service departing Charing Cross at 00.06.  The changes will take place from Sunday 11 December.

Jo said: "I am pleased that Southeastern seem to be responding to the demands of passengers and the need for extra capacity.  This is especially good news for commuters working long hours.  Nevertheless, I will continue to keep up the pressure for fast trains from Orpington at peak times.  Improving value for money on all services will also remain a top priority".

Joseph Johnson: Italian bond yields have jumped this morning by more than a percentage point to an unsustainable 8.1%. Could the Prime Minister please say what eurozone leaders must now do to stop the contagion?

The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend makes an important point. If you do not have credibility about your plans to deal with your debts and deal with your deficits, whether you like the markets or not, they will not lend you any money. That is what we are seeing in countries like Greece and now, tragically, in Italy, where the price of borrowing money is reaching a totally unsustainable level. It is a lesson for all of us to have sustainable plans to get on top of our debt and our deficits. In terms of Europe, the problem of contagion is that as we agree a decisive write-down of Greek debt, people inevitably start asking questions about other countries. As that happens, you need to have in place the biggest possible firewall. That is what the European Financial Stability Facility is all about, and eurozone leaders urgently need to put flesh on the bones and put figures on the size of that firewall, to stop this contagion going any further.

To read the full Hansard Transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

A petition to make haulage companies acknowledge the dangers caused by drivers suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has received almost 800 signatures.  The potentially lethal sleeping disorder is easily treated yet often goes undiagnosed because people may not realise they are afflicted.  A Commercial Motor investigation (CM 3 November) recently highlighted how up to 10% of all HGV drivers could have OSA.

An e-petition was set up to raise awareness after a collision on the M25 last year in which a lorry driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a car killing one of the occupants and leaving Daniel Upcraft with serious brain damage.  Upcraft's mother Carole says she created the petition to prevent another person being killed by a treatable condition.

Her MP Jo Johnson has also raised the issue in Parliament, and transport minister Mike Penning has committed to raising awareness of the issue.

In response transport minister Mike Penning says: "The department is committed to identifying opportunities to raise awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea. A number of initiatives are ongoing with commercial drivers including questioning them directly about it as part of their compulsory medicals for driver licensing purposes and sending our 'Tiredness Can Kill' leaflet to raise awareness of the condition with them and their employers."

To read the full article click here

Joseph Johnson: Did the Prime Minister see at the G20 any evidence that eurozone leaders were becoming clearer that it is an entirely fanciful notion to expect China to bail out eurozone countries whose GDP is many times its own?

The Prime Minister: I would not underestimate the huge pressure that the eurozone leaders are under to come up with a solution to the crisis in the eurozone. Clearly some of them have huge ideological difficulties with seeing a greater role for eurozone institutions. I do not think it is completely out of the question that other countries—China, or Saudi Arabia—might at some stage want to contribute to a eurozone fund, not least because the risk would be taken with the eurozone money and not with the Chinese or other money. In the end, however, there is no substitute for the eurozone acting first to sort out its difficulties.

To read the full Hansard transcrip click here

Jo met Dina Asher-Smith, a young constituent who won a double gold in the 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Commonwealth Youth Games last month on the Isle of Man.  She came to Jo's surgery in Orpington to thank him for helping her participate in the 2011 European Youth Summer Olympics in Turkey.  Jo told her he was thrilled to have someone representing their country from Orpington, and said that with only 266 days to go until the opening of the London Olympics, she was an inspiration to other aspiring young athletes in the UK.  Jo wished her the best of luck with her career.

Joseph Johnson: According to the BBC's economics editor, Stephanie Flanders, the European Commission said this morning that any country that left the euro would also have to leave the European Union. Is that the Government's understanding of the EU treaties?

Mr Hoban: I am not a constitutional lawyer, for my blessings, but it is plainly necessary to establish the legal basis for any such action. I am not aware of what the Commission has said, and I think it very dangerous for us to engage in speculation on the subject.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Joseph Johnson: Heathrow and Gatwick are operating at 99% capacity, leaving little scope for the UK economy to take advantage of the growth opportunities in the BRIC economies—those of Brazil, Russia, India and China. After the debate on the airstrip on the island of St Helena, in which the Leader of the House expressed such interest, might we perhaps find time for a further debate on UK aviation strategy and proposals for a new hub airport for London, so that such important opportunities do not go begging for a moment longer than necessary?

Sir George Young: There will be an opportunity at the next Transport questions for my hon. Friend to raise that issue. He raises a serious point about the future of aviation policy. I would welcome such a debate in Westminster Hall, either according to the guidance of Mr Speaker or in Backbench Business Committee time, so that the Government can set out their current aviation policy and those who are in favour of alternative provision can make their case.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Top company boss Sir Martin Sorrell today exposed the staggering wealth gap in Britain by declaring that his £1 million base salary is "very low".  The head of advertising giant WPP stunned MPs as he defended bumper income rises for boardroom chiefs as millions of other workers are seeing their pay frozen or rise very slightly.  He was grilled on BBC radio on his £4.2 million pay package for 2010, up from £2.3 million a year earlier, after a report revealed that FTSE directors had seen their remuneration rise by 49 per cent on average.

Speaking in Perth, Australia, David Cameron said he was "concerned" about the report on huge pay rises for boardroom bosses in Britain in the past year and admitted there had been a "problem" with closed shop remuneration committees.

"Boards have got to think when they are making pay awards, is this the right and responsible thing to do," he said. "Of course you have got to attract the best talent to run the business you are accountable for as a non-executive director, but is what you are doing responsible?  Everyone, whether they are in public life or private enterprise, they have got to be able to justify the decisions they make about pay."

But Conservative MP Jo Johnson said: "Corporate governance on the whole is failing in Britain's publicly listed companies. Executive pay is the litmus test of effective corporate governance and executive pay is clearly out of control."

To read the full story click here

Joseph Johnson: RBS shares have jumped 7% this morning in response to the eurozone statement. Does the Chancellor share the markets' view that British banks are sufficiently capitalised to withstand not just the haircut to Greek debt, but any other eventualities that might arise in the eurozone over the next few months?

Mr Osborne: Yes, I am confident about that, which is also something that the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority monitor carefully. The important thing about the test that the European Banking Authority applied was that it not only required banks to hold 9% core tier 1, but marked to market their sovereign debt exposures, which is something that the eurozone resisted for the last year and a half. Of course, the market has priced in some haircuts—to continue the barbershop analogy—of other sovereign debts. That does not mean that I think they will happen; they are what the market thinks will happen. The fact that we have now tested our banks against those marked to market on sovereign debt gives us confidence that the banking system in Britain can withstand whatever is thrown its way in the next couple of months.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo spoke on Friday at a publc hearing for the Boundary Commission for England, in support of their proposals to return the Cray Valley West ward to Orpington, as it was before the 2005 election.  The changes are part of the Government's plans to reduce the number of constituencies by 50, saving the taxpayer upwards of £12 million a year. 

In his statement to the Commission, Jo spoke of the proud local identity of the Crays and argued that it should have one strong voice to represent it. He explained that residents of the Cray Valley feel a natural affinity and identification with the town centre of Orpington, rather than that of Bromley. Residents tend to shop on Orpington High Street rather than Bromley High Street, and choose healthcare and schools near Orpington.   Following the boundary changes, many constituents from Cray Valley West still think they are part of Orpington anyway, having never realised that the boundaries changed in 2005. Restoration of the old boundaries would put an end to residents turning up at the wrong surgery and contacting the wrong MP.

Jo also discussed the ongoing regeneration of the Crays, which is hugely valued by residents on both sides of the divide, as well as shared provision of services – schools, churches, police, transport, health and youth centres.

To learn more about the Boundary Commission or to make representations on its proposals click here

Joseph Johnson: As a London MP, I am often struck by the energy inefficiency of office buildings in the capital, whose lights blaze throughout the night, regardless of whether there is anybody inside working in them. Will the Minister say what steps he is taking to tackle light pollution and the energy inefficiency of office buildings? In particular, is there a case to be made for mandatory movement-sensitive lighting systems?

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry): My hon. Friend raises an extremely interesting issue. I have the sense sometimes that Canary Wharf would be visible from Mars at night, and there are some lessons that we need to learn. The Government are showing leadership on this: simply by using energy-saving measures we have cut our own emissions by 20% in DECC over the year, and all Government Departments have cut theirs by 10%. We need to involve people who work in such buildings so that we can get their ideas about the contribution they can make, because this is as much about human endeavour as the advances in technology.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Joseph Johnson: There is a strong feeling in Bromley, which is in the vanguard of the academies movement, that the proposed formula for the top-slicing of LACSEG—local authority central spend equivalent grant—unfairly penalises very efficient local authorities. Will the Secretary of State agree to a meeting to discuss this concern?

Michael Gove: Strong feelings in Bromley always weigh with me. It is the case that the approach to LACSEG needs reform, and we are consulting on it. I expect that, as ever, voices from Bromley will be among the most persuasive.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Getting our economy growing again, putting people back to work and supporting small businesses are the Government's top priorities. 

The unemployment figures for the economically active population aged 16 to 64 in Orpington stand, as of this month, at 3.4%, compared to 7.9% nationally – 470th of the UK's 650 constituencies. We have avoided the worst of the storm, but a rise in jobless claimants of 206 over the last year reminds us that we are not completely sheltered from it.   Every job loss is a personal tragedy for that family and that is why ministers are doing all they can to create new jobs in the UK – already since the coalition took office, 500,000 new private sector jobs have been created.  

In June, I attended the Bromley Expo event at Oakley House, which brought together 62 exhibitors of small Bromley-based businesses and was attended by over 700 registered visitors.   The exhibition featured a stunning array of Bromley's most enterprising, dynamic and spirited young firms.  I was delighted to meet so many Orpington-based businesses and I welcome the decision to make it an annual event.  

Jo attended the Young Leaders in Cricket Awards on Sunday 16 October at Lords.  The programme is run by the Bromley District Development Group, with support from the Mayor's Legacy Fund, the Kent Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board.  Nearly 100 Young Leaders in Bromley have participated in the Young Leaders programme, helping them gain the skills and competencies to volunteer within cricket and become role models for others within the cricket and local communities.

At the event, Jo said that he was delighted to be there, "both as an avid cricket fan – and as a firm believer that we, as parents, teachers and community leaders, need to do more to get young people to switch off the TV and the Xbox and instead engage in sport and outdoor activities with their peers.  The summer's troubles highlighted the dangers of ignoring a bored and bewildered youth and the will help not only hone the participants batting techniques, but also foster essential skills in leadership, teamwork, volunteering, and even first aid."

Lest we forget, we are now a mere 285 days from the London Olympic Games.  I share the Mayor's commitment to securing a genuine legacy for our city – one that is more than infrastructure, essential though it is, - a legacy of young Londoners fitter and healthier than before, with a rediscovered sense of community.  I applaud the work of the Mayor's Skills Legacy Programme, which has now channelled £30 million, a year ahead of the Olympics, into grassroots sports projects, including the one that brings us here today."

In the photo, Ian Coleman, chairman of colts at Orpington CC, presents Jo with an Orpington Club cap.

To see the coverage of Jo by Kent Cricket Board click here

Joseph Johnson: Can the Chancellor confirm that Moody's downgrades of 14 UK banks on Friday reflected the planned and progressive withdrawal of state support for the banking system and a reduction of the likelihood of further taxpayer bail-outs for the UK banks, rather than any weakening of the UK banking system per se?

Mr Osborne: Yes, I can confirm that. Moody's was explicit in saying that that was not a reflection of financial conditions in the UK or the financial strength of the Government. Rather, it was a recognition of the fact that the current Government are trying to move away from the taxpayer either implicitly or explicitly standing behind our largest banks. That is sensible policy, and I hope it commands support on the Opposition Benches.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all parliamentary questions asked by Jo click here

Orpington MP Jo Johnson has come out in support of a crack down on drug drivers following the death of a 14-year-old Biggin Hill schoolgirl. 

Campaigners want "Lillian's Law" to be introduced, which calls for the Government to introduce roadside drug testing devices, similar to breathalysers, to make driving under the influence of drugs illegal, and to impose tougher sentences on those found guilty of drug-driving.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson said:"Currently the level of drug driving in the UK is too high and broadly speaking I am supportive of attempts to crack down on it.  I agree with the general push of Lillian's Law to take drug driving as seriously as it does drink driving.  I think we can probably do more to make sure as much is known about driving under the influence of cannabis as drink."

To read the full article click here

On Friday's Newsnight, Jo assessed the significance of the credit rating downgrade of 12 UK financial institutions.  Jo said: "What the downgrades are responding to are the increasing likelihood that the state won't have to bail out the banks again.  This is in a way a positive development rather than a negative one."  When questioned about the future viability of RBS, Jo explained: "We should not write off everything that RBS has done in terms of recapitalising itself.  RBS's core tier one capital ratio stood at the end of the second half at 11.1 per cent, which made it one of the strongest banks in Europe.  In a stressed scenario, that went down to 6.3 per cent - now that was still above the critical ceiling of five per cent." 

On the ongoing crisis in the Eurozone, Jo said: "I think George Osborne was right a few weeks ago to say that Europe has six to eight weeks to deliver a credible plan and I think by the time the G20 summit comes along next month, financial markets certainly want to see a plan on the table.  That involves eurozone governments setting out a clear path to further fiscal integration, it involves considerable commitment by two governments in particular - Spain and Italy - towards serious structural reform and it involves political leadership and unity on a scale which we simply haven't seen so far."

Jo also expressed his support for the Government's Project Merlin, which ensures banks lend to small businesses.  "Yes the banks have a funding problem but it is important we make them stick to their commitments under Project Merlin.  It's a critical part of the Government's growth strategy.  Project Merlin is delivering, and we have to make sure it continues to deliver."

To watch the full programme click here

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has submitted a letter to the Department of Transport in opposition to the proposed Dartford Crossing toll hike.

The letter was also signed by David Evenett, Mark Reckless, Adam Holloway, Rehman Christhie, Jo Johnson, Rebecca Harris, Tracey Crouch, Andrew Rosindell, Gordon Henderson and Lee Scott.

The letter outlines the concerns held by MPs, including levels of congestion, increased pollution across the entire area as motorists try to find alternative routes and the detrimental impact on businesses which rely on the crossing.  The letter also puts forward scrapping the tolls altogether as the best solution to the problems.

It reads: "This would also be the fairest solution for motorists and businesses. This is a situation we call on the Department to work towards.  However, in the absence of the tolls being completely removed, we support the substituting of the tollbooths with a free-flow charging scheme as a mechanism of tackling the congestion."

To read the full article click here

Bromley MPs Jo Johnson, Bob Stewart and Bob Neill, along with Cllr Ernest Noad, Lead Member for Children's Services in Bromley, met earlier today with Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families.  The MPs discussed funding provisions for vulnerable children within Academy schools, which are now independent of the Local Authority. 

Jo said: "I am grateful to the minister for taking the time to meet with us.  We had a frank and productive discussion and I welcome his assurances that he will do what he can to give every child in Bromley a fair start in life.  I am proud that our borough has had a particularly high rate of Academy conversions – one-size-fits-all education just doesn't cut it – but the coalition has also vowed to make social mobility a priority, and I was pleased to see the minister reaffirm that today". 

Jo was honoured to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Carers Bromley earlier today.  Jo said: "Carers – those who dedicate their lives, without payment, to support a relative, friend or neighbour too weak, sick or disabled to manage on their own – are the unsung heroes in our society.  Their tireless work makes all the difference to the person in their care, but they too often fail to receive the guidance and assistance they desperately need.  That is why I am hugely grateful to Carers Bromley for their efforts in supporting carers, and to HRH The Princess Royal for giving the charity the recognition it deserves". 

For more information on Carers Bromley click here

"The world does not need a mini-Boris," says Jo Johnson, the journalist-turned-politician trying to escape the shadow of his journalist-turned-politician brother in their dynasty of journalists and politicians. "It would be a disaster if I tried to pass myself off as him." The Conservative MP for Orpington is sibling number four in the Johnson clan. After Boris, comes The Lady editor Rachel, entrepreneurial Leo, Jo and then two half-siblings, Julia and Max. Jo is considered the "sensible" one: "There was no point trying to be the loud one."

If Boris is the showman and the stand-up comic, Jo seems to have a better eye for detail. Some have suggested the two could one day compete for the top job in the party, Miliband-style, although Jo describes Labour's filial battle as "unedifying". Perhaps a BoJo-JoJo double-act at 10 and 11 Downing Street might be an alternate vision of the future? Jo gives the perfect politician-being-grilled-on-the-Today-programme response: "We have in David Cameron the right man for the right time. I am full-square behind him and George Osborne."

To read the full article click here

● Watch gang videos at www.SpiffTV.com. Type in your postcode to see your local gang - there'll be one. Parliamentary computers are blocked from accessing the site, which speaks to the gulf between politicians and a generation of young people more bewildered by life than any other before them. But with newly released statistics predicting that by the end of 2011 there'll be more young "neets" (not in education, employment or training) than ever recorded, SpiffTV should be compulsory viewing throughout Westminster.

● Throw everything at the obesity epidemic. Nearly one in four adults is now obese and 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 25 per cent of children could be by 2050. In outer London, more than 54 per cent of people are either overweight or obese, putting huge strains on local health budgets. The UK needs to tackle this complex problem more aggressively in many ways, including controls on the advertising of food to children; support for retailers who sell fresh and healthy food and increased access to health services for those at risk of obesity.

● Make Britain's tax system an asset again. The UK cannot afford to be branded a high-tax economy. The World Economic Forum ranks the UK 95th out of 135 countries in terms of the impact of its tax system on incentives to work and invest. George Osborne, the chancellor, wants Britain to have the simplest and most competitive business tax regime of any major western economy. He has reversed planned increases in payroll taxes, lowered small business tax rates and has set out plans to reduce corporation tax to its lowest ever rate. Lowering personal income tax rates, not least the Harold Wilson-esque 50p top rate, must also be a priority.

Jo visited Affinity Sutton housing projects at Mountfield and Ramsden estates earlier today.  Jo is pictured here with Keith Exford, Chief Executive of Affinity Sutton, in front of Horton Tower, to be demolished in early 2012.  Jo said: "This is a big step forward for the regeneration of St Mary Cray and I can't wait to see the 96 fine new homes that Affinty Sutton is planning on the site of the old towers, which have been uninhabited since 2007.  I know this is will come as a big relief to local residents, and I am delighted that we will have a whole swathe of housing for young people and families in the area".

Jo hosted a group of pupils from Newstead Wood School for Girls on Thursday.  After they took a tour of the Palace of Westminster, Jo discussed the world economy and the state of British politics going into conference season.  Jo also congratulated Newstead Wood on becoming an Academy last April, saying that it gives the school greater opportunity to drive up already exceptional standards, and adapt teaching methods to meet individual needs. 

Veneratio is a new community project organising social events and activities of all kinds for people of later retirement age in Biggin Hill, in order to increase the participation and visibility of older people in society...It's like a youth club for the not so young!!

Veneratio has a launch party scheduled for 1 October, where Frank Williams, the reverend from Dad's Army, will be telling anecdotes about life on set and members will have the opportunity to sample some local ale. There will also be a quiz to help raise funds and raise the local profile of the charity.

Jo wishes the new charity the best of success and looks forward to following their progress.

To find out more on Veneratio's website click here

The last election saw the arrival of 227 new MPs, the biggest rookie intake since 1997. The New Statesman, in association with Insight Public Affairs, has compiled a list of 20 MPs aged under 40 who we think have the brightest prospects in the House. The list excludes frontbenchers, although among them are sure to be future ministers and even prime ministers. As the NS leader notes this week: "so far, the 2010 generation has shown itself to be independent-minded and politically precocious, with a reassuring tendency to defy the whips".

To read the full story click here

A mum's campaign to raise awareness of a sleep disorder has been trumpeted in the House of Commons.  Carole Upcraft's son Daniel, 32, was left brain damaged and his fiancée Nicola, 33, was killed following a car crash where the driver at fault had undiagnosed sleep apnoea.  They had been queuing for the Dartford tunnel on the M25 when their car was hit by a lorry in April last year.  The case against lorry driver David Thomas from Upminster, was dropped when it emerged he had sleep apnoea, which causes daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

Following questions in Parliament from Orpington MP Jo Johnson, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for transport Michael Penning welcomed the opportunity to meet Mrs Upcraft to support her campaign.  Mr Penning said: "It would be a pleasure to meet the family, and I praise the work they are doing.  This tragic loss was the result of a medical condition that is very difficult to diagnose, and we need to do a lot of work prior to diagnosis so that people are not driving with this terrible illness."

To read the full story click here

Joseph Johnson: Daniel Upcraft and his fiancée Nicola were hit by a heavy lorry while queuing in traffic on the M25 last April. Daniel was left with very serious brain injuries and Nicola tragically lost her life. The driver of the lorry was found to have had undiagnosed sleep apnoea and the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case against him. Will the Minister please agree to meet Daniel's mother, Carole, my constituent, who is running a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of sleep apnoea on drivers' ability to maintain vigilance?

Mike Penning: It would be a pleasure to meet the family, and I praise the work they are doing. This tragic loss was the result of a medical condition that is very difficult to diagnose, and we need to do a lot of work prior to diagnosis so that people are not driving with this terrible illness.

To read the full story from the BBC website click here

Jo met with Barclays managers at the Orpington High Street branch on Friday to discuss how banks could increase lending to small businesses and families.  Jo said, "We had a very frank and productive conversation about what banks need to do to help liquidity and capital flow into the economy and pour fuel into the engine of economic recovery.  As recent research by ITV News has shown, over half of small firms applying for credit in the last six months have been refused. 

"That is why I welcome the Chancellor's Project Merlin, that was agreed with Barclays, as well as Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC, this February.  Project Merlin will ensure that £190 billion of new credit is made available to businesses over the course of the year – of which £76 billion will go to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).  As part of the deal, the banks will also fund a new £2.5 billion Business Growth Fund."

Photo (L to R):  Jo , Tony Jefferys Barclays Business manager, Michael Cleary, Branch Manager, Mike Blower Barclays Business manager, Dion Christiansen, Retail Area Director.

After the shocks of the financial crisis and the pain of the recession, there is an understandable popular clamour for tougher banking regulation. Polls suggest the more radical the reforms, the better. Politicians now face impossible demands to design a regime that can shelter taxpayers from the proverbial 100-year storm, which grinds all risk out of the system in pursuit of the nirvana of eternal financial stability, but with no collateral cost to growth.

In this fevered context, the coalition government deserves credit for establishing the Independent Commission on Banking in June 2010 and for now agreeing to implement its recommendations by 2019. This is a well-thought through series of steps towards a new banking system that supports lending to businesses and families, but does not cost the taxpayer billions of pounds when it goes wrong. There is inevitably a risk, however, in leading the world in learning the lessons from the failures of the last decade. In particular, there is a real danger of regulatory overkill if it turns out that the ICB has exaggerated the benefits of intervention and underestimated the costs.

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, met with the directors of Biggin Hill-based Autoflame Engineering Ltd, and their close business supplier Limpsfield Engineering Ltd, at Saturday's Biggin Hill Airport family open day. In July of this year, Jo nominated Autoflame for inclusion in the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group's "Made By Britain" map, which hopes to address the reputation problems facing the manufacturing sector by drawing up a diverse and comprehensive picture of contemporary British industry. "Made By Britain" was developed as a collaboration between the Manufacturing Group and the 1851 Royal Commiission, established by Prince Albert following the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition.

Jo said: "Manufacturing is crucial to a sustainable and diversified British economy and I am delighted that we have in Biggin Hill a company with the innovation, skills and job-creating capacity of Autoflame. The coalition Government wants the words "Made in Britain" seen across the world, and I am pleased that Biggin Hill is leading the way. I greatly look forward to visiting their site in November".

To see Jo's nomination on the "Made by Britain" site click here

Our campaign to get reporters from your favourite local newspaper into the Olympic Games next year has made it to the House of Commons.  As things stand, London's single biggest event in a generation will have no local media coverage of any kind after all regional press applications for passes were declined by the British Olympic Association (BOA).

That means, while we will continue to bring you the build-up to the Games and reflect the decisions affecting the taxpayers who have made the Games possible, we will not be able to bring you any coverage of the Games themselves.

Jo Johnson, Conservative MP for Orpington, took the battle straight to the top, enlisting the support of Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson in the Commons on Thursday.

Mr Johnson said: "It is a cause of great concern to me that local media, particularly in London — the city on whose good will the success of these games depends — are being shut out.  Will [Mr Robertson] join me in calling on the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to look closely at the decision by the British Olympic Association to deny media accreditation to such fine local London papers as the News Shopper?"

To read the full story click here

Joseph Johnson: I thank the Minister for his kind words of thanks to the Bill Committee members. It was the first Bill Committee of which I have been a member, and I enjoyed it very much. He has alluded to the technical difficulties that officials must confront, and I want to bring to his attention a set of technical difficulties relating to the sharing out of media accreditations to the British media. It is a cause of great concern to me that local media, particularly in London—the city on whose good will the success of these games depends—are being shut out. Will he join me in calling on the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to look closely at the decision by the British Olympic Association to deny media accreditation to such fine local London papers as the News Shopper?

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

"Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership" seeks to survey the main features of a diverse and complex bilateral relationship. As the shadows of the colonial period fade into history, this book aims to analyse the scope for a new relationship that recognises the role the UK can play in India's quest for international stature.

Original essays from more than three dozen thought-leaders from the worlds of academia, business, politics and the arts assess the potential for the two countries to forge an 'enhanced partnership', the objective set out by the two prime ministers, Manmohan Singh and David Cameron during the latter's 2010 visit to India.

To purchase a copy of the book click here

On 22 June, the London Borough of Bromley played host to the premier business event in South East London of 2011, the Bromley Business Expo. 

The Expo was the brainchild of South East London Branch Chairman, Charma Sharma.  Charma wanted to give local small businesses the opportunity to come together, to network, share ideas, meet like minded business people and find out more about the business opportunities in the local area.  He felt this was particularly important to do now because of the recent economic downturn. 

The event was jointly run by the FSB South East London Branch and the Best of Bromley via JCK Marketing.  The major sponsors were BRX Business Development Groups and the event relied on the support of its other sponsors, ImageWorx and the Muesli Mafia for its success.

The day was opened by key note speaker Penny Power.  Penny is a published author, the founder of Ecadamy, and a highly sought after and inspirational speaker.  Also in attendance at the event was Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington.  He said of the event: "The Bromley Expo is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to network and support growth and jobs in South East London."

For more information of Bromley Expo click here

Orpington Hospital is being put under the microscope as part of a project looking at the future of health care in the town.  South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) is working with NHS South East London (SEL) and Bromley PCT and GP commissioners to come up with a plan for Orpington's future.

Meanwhile, Orpington MP Jo Johnson welcomed the engagement process on the future of the hospital.  He said: "The uncertainty over the future of the Orpington Hospital site has been hanging over patients and NHS staff for too long.

"My bottom line is that I'm committed to high quality health services delivered locally in Orpington and I look forward to seeing the recommendations for the future of Orpington Hospital from patient groups, NHS staff and clinicians."

To read the full article click here

Yet another round of train fare hikes has been dubbed "a double kicking" leaving Southeastern rail commuters "feeling the pinch".

With inflation currently at five per cent, ticket prices are set to rise next year by an average of eight per cent with passengers still reeling from Southeastern fares going up by 12.6 per cent in January.  Chairman of the Orpington and District Passenger Transport Users Association Brian Cooke said: "I think it's a pity Southeastern customers are going to face significantly above inflation rises for the fifth year in a row.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson, who criticised Southeastern for its January fare increases, said: "I am conscious that rail users in Orpington will be feeling the pinch following this latest hike.  I am due imminently to meet Charles Horton, the managing director of Southeastern trains, and I will be pressing hard for evidence that they are delivering value for money to commuters. In particular, we need more fast trains during peak hours and less overcrowding as justification for these very painful increases in fares."

To read the full article click here

Jo walked around Petts Wood and Orpington last Tuesday where he met some of the shopkeepers who had been affected by looting.  He said: "Walking around Orpington and Petts Wood, I was struck by the resolve of local shopkeepers and residents to make sure that the looters would not win. I share their sense of anger at what has happened in our communities."

Mr Neill and Mr Johnson both denied cuts to the police service would affect the ability to cope with any future riots and looting.  Despite borough commander Charles Griggs already announcing a reduction of 30 police officers within the next year including five sergeants, Mr Johnson said: "There will be no reduction in police officers available to the public on the streets."

To read the full article click here

Orpington MP Jo Johnson has joined the prime minister in condemning those responsible for this week's violence in London, hitting out at the "opportunistic thieves" who looted local stores.  Although spared serious disorder, there was small-scale vandalism in the borough and shops were damaged in Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington and St Mary Cray.

"The behaviour of those who thought it was acceptable to loot from shops and intimidate residents was appalling," Mr Johnson said.  He insisted that new measures announced by David Cameron, including harsher sentencing by the courts and the eviction of criminals by landlords from social housing, would give "enhanced powers to the police to prevent further criminality, build confidence and support those who have lost livelihoods".

To read the full article click here

I am writing in response to the letter from Rod Reed (What Have We Got To Show For the Cost of MPs? News Shopper, July 27th).

I have to dispute his assertion all MPs be castigated along with his MP.  Here in Orpington, we are represented by Jo Johnson and we have no such problems.

As secretary of our residents' association, I have had many instances in which to contact Mr Johnson.  Without fail, he or his PA, Judith Ellis, have assisted as best they can.

I feel for Mr Reed in that he is not receiving the level of service expected from his MP but please note not all MPs are like this in our area.

Michael
Saltwood Close, Orpington

See the letters page of the News Shopper here

Joseph Johnson MP: Will the Prime Minister join me in paying tribute to the 1,300 voluntary special constables who played a vital part in restoring calm in the capital on Tuesday? Will he also take note that many special constables, including one in my constituency, Orpington, struggled to secure permission from their employer to enable them to take part in the surge effort, which was eventually so successful?

The Prime Minister: My Honourable Friend is entirely right. There has recently been a growth in specials in some forces and that is hugely welcome, but we need employers to show a sense of social responsibility to release them rapidly for service when they are needed.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo in Parliament click here

Jo joined MPs from across the country to mark the one year countdown to the London 2012 Olympics.   At a Parliamentary reception, Jo heard that preparations were on schedule and the final touches were already being put on the venues:

“All the stadia are ready to go and I can’t wait for the Games to begin. This is a phenomenal opportunity for London to show the best of Britain on the world stage.”

Jo also heard an address from 2012 chief, Lord Coe:  “The one-year-to-go mark is London’s invitation to the world to come to the Games. We share the nation’s excitement and we won’t let you down.” said the double Olympic gold medallist.

The Games kick off on the 27th July with the opening ceremony that culminates with the lighting of the Olympic flame. Jo had the opportunity to see for himself what it would be like to carry the torch:  “It was a real honour to hold the Olympic torch something I never thought I would ever have the chance to do.”

Jo was in Orpington on Tuesday meeting with representatives of the community, business leaders and the Orpington safer neighbourhood team. He also visited the Nugents shopping centre to assess the damage and to reassure business leaders that the perpetrators will face consequences for their actions.

Following a spate of copycat criminal behaviour in Bromley borough, Jo condemned Monday night's unrest as, "nothing other than mindless looting." We will stand in opposition to this kind of criminal behaviour, united as a community that we will not tolerate lawlessness on our streets."

"I agree with the Prime Minister that those responsible for this violence should face the full force of the law."

Last night the unrest spread to Orpington where the Nugents Shopping Centre was the scene of looting with Carphone Warehouse and Game targeted.  Jo said: "I have been in close contact with Bromley Borough Police Commander, Charles Griggs and safer neighbourhood teams will be deployed. I am confident that the police are well equipped to impose order and deal with this scourge on our streets."

"I have spoken to Council leader Stephen Carr who is making sure that Bromley borough is given the appropriate level of support as the police seek to prevent a repeat of what happened on Monday night."  Parliament has been recalled for a special session on Thursday to debate the rioting where MPs will hear a statement from the Prime Minister about the events of the past week. 

Bromley Council's decision to reject Biggin Hill Airport's second bid to extend opening hours for the Olympics has been branded "a missed opportunity" for the borough by the airport's managing director, Jenny Munro.  Executive councillors unanimously rejected the airport's revised proposals in front of a busy public gallery on Monday night. This followed a consultation which found 60 per cent of respondents against the plan, down from 95 per cent last time around.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson, who opposed the proposals, told News Shopper: "The voices of residents have been listened to.  "Biggin Hill has masses of scope within the existing lease to take full advantage of the commercial opportunities that the Olympics represent.  I have not seen the evidence that suggests additional flights are needed."

To read the full article click here

Further coverage from the Bromley Times can be read here

Riots in Bromley? It's hard to imagine. Yet, last night, a few young people threatened to bring havoc to a borough that traditionally has one of the lowest crime rates in the capital. You can see here an extraordinary video of the looting of the Nugent shopping centre.  Fortunately, the incidents yesterday were limited in scope and isolated. But there is no room for complacency.

I spent part of the afternoon with the Orpington local Safer Neighbourhood Team, which is bracing itself for a repeat performance tonight. Now that the mob has done the capital's bigger high streets and now that the police are out in force in the city centre, the fear is that secondary targets, such as Bromley, Beckenham and Orpington, will become the next front line. 

A restaurant has helped a children's football club get ready to kick-off the new season by helping with a financial goal.  Desperados Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar in Station Square, Petts Wood, has donated £1,800 to Petts Wood Football Club.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson was at the restaurant to see the owner Inci Kepenci hand over a cheque to players from the club's various teams.

The money will be used to buy football kits and training equipment, as well as helping with the costs of travelling to and from matches.  Mrs Kepenci, aged 39, said: "I'm a local girl myself so I wanted to support my local team."

To read the full article click here

Jo congratulates three Orpington schools recently given granted academy status by Education Secretary, Michael Gove.

"I am delighted that Darrick Wood, Green Street Green and Biggin Hill Primary have been awarded academy status. This is just the sort of fillip our communities deserve.  

"Currently there are more than 800 academy schools in England; a four fold increase since the General Election. Academy status gives greater autonomy to teachers and more say to parents in their children's education.

"One size fits all education just doesn't cut it, so I welcome the opportunity this gives to raise standards and adapt teaching to meet individual pupil needs."

To find out more about academy status visit the Department for Education website

Barely 20 miles from the heart of London lies Biggin Hill airfield. For second world war buffs, this patch of green belt is the spiritual home of "the few", a place of myth and magic from which Spitfires and Hurricanes manned by crews of unsurpassable bravery launched themselves across the northern Kentish downs to defend a vulnerable capital. During the Battle of Britain, fighters based at RAF Biggin Hill claimed 1,400 enemy aircraft, at the cost of the lives of 453 aircrew.Today, London Biggin Hill Airport, as it has become, is at the centre of a new battle, which is pitting residents in my constituency against the owners of a scarce resource, one of just three commercial airports within the city limits. At present, the airport, although conveniently located close to the M25, is operating at under half its theoretical potential, as it is prohibited by its long lease with Bromley Council from running fare-paying passenger services and thereby prevented from turning itself into a new Luton.

The tension over the airport's plans to expand is the consequence of the UK's historic failure to make long-term provision for runway capacity in the south-east. It makes no sense to expand airports located in residential areas within the M25 when far better solutions exist elsewhere, such as in the Thames estuary. That's why this government was right to veto a third runway at Heathrow and why Bromley Council would be right to hold the line on the expansion of Biggin Hill.

The more we deal with our structural shortage of airport and airspace capacity by putting in place quick fixes to suburban airports, the longer it will be before the UK engages with the need to build a new hub airport for London. Runway utilisation at Heathrow and Gatwick is operating at about 99 per cent, compared to 70-75 per cent at other big European airports. This is causing delays and reliability problems that are damaging Britain's competitiveness.

Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, at an emergency session in the House of Commons today, apologised for having appointed Andy Coulson as his director of communication. Coulson had to quit in January this year, after it was reported that he knew of the phone hacking by the News of the World (NoTW) while he was the tabloid's editor.

Jo Johnson, the former New Delhi-based South Asia chief of the Financial Times, now member of Parliament, told Business Standard, "The authority and scope of the inquiry demonstrates this Government's profound recognition that there has been a sustained culture of malpractice within both the tabloid press and the police, as well as its commitment to cleaning up journalism in Britain. Britain has a competitive and boisterous press, of which we should largely be proud. However, where there has been criminality, the law must be applied, and I hope this scandal will usher in a new age of ethical standards in the media." 

To read the full article click here 

Jo has nominated Biggin Hill-based Autoflame Engineering Ltd, coupled with their close business supplier Limpsfield Engineering Ltd., for inclusion in the All Party Manufacturing Group's "Made By Britain" map.

Autoflame manufacture Combustion Management Systems, which dramatically reduce gas consumption in commercial premises. Their business is about 60 per cent exports, particularly to the USA where they service major corporations. They have received 3 Queens awards for industry in the past 7 or so years. Limpsfield Engineering are precision engineers who manufacture the engineering components for Autoflame. Estimates suggest that Autoflame has about 30 employees and Limpsfield about 15 plus. These two companies are both based on the Airport industrial Estate, which is not part of the Airport estate, but a separate industrial estate, not connected to aviation. 

For more information on Autoflame Engineering Ltd. click here

To see Jo's nomination on the "Made By Britain" website click here 

An MP has asked the government to look into Biggin Hill Airport's application to extend its opening hours and increase flights during the Olympics.  Orpington MP Jo Johnson put two written questions to Transport Secretary Philip Hammond at the House of Commons last week. He asked what contribution the government expects Biggin Hill to make in meeting demand for travel during the Olympics. 

Aviation Minister Theresa Villiers replied that large numbers of additional private aircraft flights can be expected during the Games period, and that both airport and airspace capacity across south-east England will be in high demand. Biggin Hill is expected to play an important part in accommodating this additional demand, she said Bromley Council is currently considering a re-submitted application by Biggin Hill after members of the executive unanimously voted against the first one in April. There is another public consultation under way.  Mr Johnson also asked Mr Hammond if he would assess the adequacy of Biggin Hill to handle traffic during the period. Ms Villiers said that was a matter for Biggin Hill and Bromley Council.

Half of the sixteen shops visited by teens working for Trading Standards sold alcohol to the undercover youths, Bromley Council revealed this week.  The test purchases were conducted last weekend in shops in Bromley, Biggin Hill and Orpington to determine how difficult it is for under age people to obtain alcohol and tobacco.

Jo Johnson MP, who represents the Orpington constituency, which includes Biggin Hill, said underage alcohol sales were "a real concern".  That's why the government is bringing in new proposals to give authorities much stronger powers to remove licences from, or refuse to grant licences to, any premises that cause problems," he said.

"At the same time, the Government is also doubling the maximum fine for underage alcohol sales to £20,000 and giving police and Trading Standards officers the power to close such premises for up to two weeks, sending a clear message that sales to minors will not be tolerated.  Finally, local councils will be able to charge a late night levy to premises selling alcohol between midnight and six am to pay for additional policing to make our streets safer in areas where there are late night licences."

To read the full article click here

Photos have been released from the launch of Jo's book "Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership", held at a reception in 11 Downing Street on 20 June 2011.

To see more photos of the event and others of Jo in the constituency click here

On the heels of opening the Chelsfield Village Festival, Saturday 9 July, Jo also attended the St Olave's Festival, Family Fun Day at Crofton Baptist Church and the Cray Valley Festival. 

All four events were a huge success.  Cllr Peter Fortune, pictured with Jo in the photo, said that "the Cray Festival is an excellent example of what we in the Cray can do when we all pull together. It was brilliant to see so many children and their parents out and enjoying themselves in the park. I can't wait for next years' Festival - I bet it's even bigger!"

To see more photos of Jo at the Fair and around Orpington click here

Orpington MP Jo Johnson has voiced concerns that a temporary extension of Biggin Hill airport's flight limit could set a precedent for future expansion.  Airport bosses have applied to Bromley Council for an extension in operating hours during next year's Olympics and Paralympics, and residents are being asked to contribute to a public consultation which ends on July 29.

But Mr Johnson – the younger brother of London Mayor Boris Johnson – says any such arrangement should be a one-off.  "We don't want to set a precedent that enables the airport to have permanently extended hours of operation and an increased number of flights," he said.  My concern is that while wanting to support this national event, we don't want in the process to create the conditions for Biggin Hill to turn into a mini or maxi Luton or Stansted. 

"My bottom line is that the existing lease offers Biggin Hill plenty of scope to take full advantage of the commercial opportunities offered by the Olympics. I haven't seen the evidence that suggests extra flights are needed.  I can't speak for everyone but a very clear majority of my constituents are very concerned about these plans."

To read the full story click here

Jo officially opened Chelsfield Village Fair on Saturday 9 July.  In a brief opening statement, he thanked the organisers who had "all put in months of tireless effort to bring together a fantastic array of contributions from Chelsfield."  He said that "today's success is testament to the strong sense of community that we see here in Chelsfield.  In particular, I am particularly proud of the contribution to charity – Cancer Research UK and I-Care Day Centre Trust Ltd -  that will result from the all the hard work leading up to today's fair". 

Following the event, the Chairman of Chelsfield Village Fair said that Chelsfield Village Fair 2011 was "almost certainly the best attended Fair we have put on (in excess of 4,000 people attending a Fair in a village with 45 houses in it!) and we would especially like to thank Jo for personally helping us with a few bureaucratic problems we had at the end of last week. The man's a star!"

To see more photos of Jo at the Fair and around Orpington click here

Saturday's Biggin Hill Festival Fair was branded a great success, with crowds enjoying bellydancing, gymnastics and martial arts displays.

The mayor of Bromley, Councillor David McBride, and local MP Jo Johnson attended the fair, which also boasted a performance by Biggin Hill Musical Theatre Company School and a Pride and Joy classic car display.

Organiser Malcolm Lowing said: "The excellent weather ensured that the ice cream van and the Scouts beer tent were kept busy, whilst the Guides' BBQ, cake stalls and Lions candy floss machines all did a roaring trade.  There were dozens of stalls giving visitors an opportunity to win a prize or grab a bargain and helping local charities and clubs raise thousands of pounds."

To read the full story click here

Biggin Hill airport has launched a fresh application to extend its operating hours during the period of next year's Olympic Games.  In March, Bromley Council, the airport's landlord, rejected the airport's plans, which also requested temporary permission to accept fare-paying passengers, after 94% of consultation respondents said they were opposed.  But the airport has since lodged a new application and a second period of public consultation will run throughout July.

Local MP Jo Johnson said: "While I recognise that the airport has amended its proposal to take into account some of residents' concerns, I remain opposed to any ad hoc change to the lease that could come back to haunt the Council at a future point.  I therefore once again urge the Council to continue to respect the wishes of local residents, especially those living under the flightpath, who made their views explicit in the public consultation that was held earlier this year.  As I've said before, the concerns of residents must be given the greatest weight in the council's deliberations."

To read the full article click here

Increasing amounts of taxpayers' money will be lost to corrupt foreign regimes as a result of the Government's 'ballooning' aid budget, a senior civil servant admitted yesterday.  Mark Lowcock, the highest ranking civil servant in the Department for International Development, also confessed that his department had no idea about the scale of public money already lost to fraud and corruption.

MPs on the influential public accounts committee said they were 'shocked' by the failure of officials to assess the scale of the problem at a time when spending on foreign aid is set to rise by 34 per cent in real terms to £12.6billion by 2014.

Tory MP Jo Johnson said he was 'shocked' to discover that DfID had only detected £459,000 of fraud in 2009-10 – just 0.01 per cent of its overall spending – and had recovered just £199,000.  He said: 'It beggars belief. It is so far off the scale of what one would rationally expect to be the case.'

To read the full story click here

Jo joined members of the Bromley Evening Decorative and Fine Arts Society (BEDFAS) this Saturday for their summer garden party. BEDFAS are one of three National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) groups in Bromley, along with North Kent and Beckenham.  BEDFAS promotes an appreciation and understanding of the decorative and fine arts, ranging across the fields of paintings, sculpture, architecture, furniture, porcelain and jewellery.  Jo congratulated them on their 25th anniversary last year and praised their contribution to the community.  He was also delighted to hear Bromley Youth Music Trust, whose funding he has supported in Parliament. 

To find out more about BEDFAS, click here

 Could India and Britain jointly revive the Commonwealth, not only to boost their own co-operation, but to form a significant international alliance of English-speaking democracies that span religious and ethnic boundaries? If they did this and brought the organisation's other 51 member countries into an active association, could the Commonwealth emerge as a new influence in a world that will be increasingly dominated by China and sternly Islamic nations?These ideas, which contrast with earlier suggestions (usually negative) about what to do with the largely ceremonial and British-dominated Commonwealth, have been put forward by C.Raja Mohan, one of India's leading strategic and foreign affairs analysts, in a book of essays by Indian and British writers.

The book, *Reconnecting Britain and India , was launched last month at a reception in Downing Street. It has been edited by Jo Johnson, a former Financial Times India-based correspondent and now a Conservative MP, together with Rajiv Kumar, secretary general of FICCI, a leading Indian business federation.

To read the full story click here

A bestselling chick lit author was on hand to make sure Orpington Library's official opening was a real page turner.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson joined Adele Parks as she cut the ribbon at the building on Saturday before the watching crowds enjoyed entertainment in Walnuts Square including dance performances and a film screening.

The library opened in May after being moved from its old address at The Priory, Church Hill, Orpington.  Membership of the library has improved significantly since the same period last year, with the registration of 1,325 new members in the six week period since its opening compared to 300 members last year.

To read the full story click here

Public sector strikes have forced more than 70 schools and colleges in Bromley to turn away students today.  Thousands of students have had lessons cancelled as around three quarters of the 97 schools and colleges in the borough are closed or partially closed, with staff striking over controversial government plans to change their pension scheme.  Almost half the staff at Bromley College are on strike, causing many lessons to be cancelled.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson defended the government's pension plans and criticised public sector workers for striking.  He said: "Less than 10 per cent of the civil service workforce has voted for strike action and only about a third of teachers, which shows the real lack of support for the kind of widespread action union leaders are hoping for.

"Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but the government will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy.  But they will be paid later because people live longer. And public sector staff will pay more, for a fairer balance between what they pay and what other taxpayers pay."

To read the full story click here

Facing the scourge of terrorism, India and Britain must step up the quality and momentum of exchanges and information sharing on a real time basis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.  In a foreword to a book, 'Reconnecting Britain and India', launched here, Dr Manmohan Singh said, "We are committed to transform our bilateral relations into an enhanced strategic partnership. While we have been co-operating to deal with the terrorist challenge, we could further step up the quality and momentum of exchanges and information sharing on a real time basis," he said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron responded to Manmohan Singh's concern by writing in his foreward to the book: "Of course, one of the biggest threats both our countries face at the moment is terrorism, carried out by extremists who are adept at crossing borders and communicating globally. This calls on our governments to act together to protect our citizens."

The book is edited by the British MP, Jo Johnson and Rajiv Kumar, Secretary-General of FICCI.    

To read the full story click here

Some 400 staff at a military research centre in Kent are expected not to relocate to other parts of the country when the facility closes.  It comes aftter Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) said its operations at Fort Halstead near Sevenoaks were to shut down by 2016.  The site's 840 employees have been offered the option to relocate to other parts of the country more than 100 miles away.

Michael Fallon, the MP for Sevenoaks, held what he labelled a "reasonably constructive" meeting with defence procurement minister Peter Luff over the future of the site on Wednesday.

He was joined by Jo Johnson, the MP for Orpington, and Sevenoaks District Council's leader, Peter Fleming, and chief executive, Robert Hales.  "Plenty of work lies ahead," he said. "If they relocate it is a big upheaval, but the priority is to make sure those who do not want to relocate stay in the labour market."

To read the full article click here

A train company branded the worst in the country for dealing with delays today launches a compensation scheme for passengers.  Southeastern's 'delay repay' scheme is applicable to all ticket holders and entitles passengers to claim compensation if any journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more.  Passengers held up for more than an hour will also be able to get a full refund of the fare for that journey.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson, who hit out at Southeastern in the House of Commons for hiking up fares by more than 12 per cent in January, said: "This survey confirms that Southeastern must urgently deliver better value for money and do more to justify the many years of way above inflation fare increases.

"In particular, Southeastern must do much more to tackle overcrowding on commuter trains, introduce fast trains to and from Orpington to London in peak hours and communicate better with passengers when delays do occur as my constituents found only on Monday this week when there was thoroughly confusing information given to passengers who suffered from significant disruption to their train service."

To read the full story click here

Less than 10 per cent of the Civil Service workforce has voted for strike action and only about a third of teachers, which shows the real lack of support for the kind of widespread action union leaders are hoping for.

Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but the government will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy.

But they will be paid later because people live longer. And public sector staff will pay more, for a fairer balance between what they pay and what other taxpayers pay.

Joseph Johnson: Is there a danger that Colonel Gaddafi misreads recent statements by Amr Moussa, the outgoing secretary-general of the Arab League and current presidential candidate in Egypt, in which he has called for a ceasefire and the commencement of peace talks while the existing Libyan leader is in place, and therefore underestimates the unity of purpose in the international community in enforcing the UN resolutions?

Mr Hague: I hope that any such danger will be removed by the continued meetings of the contact group, on which the Arab League is represented and at which international unity is strengthening, not weakening. The contact group meeting in Abu Dhabi was attended by seven additional nations, as well as by organisations such as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League. I am sure that the meeting in Istanbul in two weeks' time will also be well attended and very united, so if Gaddafi is under any misapprehension about the unity of the international community, he will find that that is rapidly removed.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Dear Mr Johnson

First and on behalf of the company, we are very sorry to all those passengers delayed, inconvenienced or held on trains in what were intolerably hot conditions that evening.  All those affected will be compensated in the form or leisure or rail travel vouchers and every claim, including those for out of pocket expenses will be considered.  Please ask your constituents so affected to contact our Customer Relations team on telephone 0845 000 2222, by surface mail at P.O Box 63428, London SE1 5FD or by webform via our website www.southeasternrailway.co.uk  If any report problems in securing compensation, please let me know.

The causes were as follows. Late on Monday afternoon (27 June) a train broke down between Bexleyheath and Dartford, causing a number of following services to come to a halt. Unfortunately the failed train was near a crossover point so a number of services were affected. Engineers were called to the scene and an investigation is being carried out into the exact causes of the breakdown.   Completing repairs took longer than expected and given the unseasonably warm weather, understandably, passengers became frustrated.

Joseph Johnson: Is my hon. Friend aware that fewer than a quarter of England's 168 NHS hospital trusts have significant Private Finance Initiative hospitals within them, but that those trusts account for almost two-thirds of A and E closures or proposed closures? I know from my own observation of the South London Healthcare NHS Trust how extreme the operational constraints are that face managers who have PFI hospitals within their trusts and how those hospitals force them to take decisions on operational grounds that might not be in the best interests of patients.

Jesse Norman: It seems to be true that many decisions were made from a desire to fit the financial cloth to the pocket rather than from the actual clinical needs of the patients. It is certainly true that the squeeze that these inflation-adjusted costs exert on hospitals is heavily responsible for the closure of A and E units.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo opened the inaugural Bromley Expo event at Oakley House on Wednesday 22 June, which featured 62 exhibitors of small local businesses and over 700 registered visitors. 

Jo said: "I applaud the Federation of Small Businesses' stellar work in bringing together at the Bromley Expo such a vast array of enterprising businesses who support growth and jobs in south east London.  I was proud to play a small part in such a successful day and it rightly deserves to become an annual event. I was delighted to meet so many Orpington-based businesses -  Networker Plus, Leopard Print and Vital to name just a few". 

For more information of Bromley Expo click here

For once, Boris Johnson wasn't the centre of attention.  Instead, his brother Jo Johnson MP took the spotlight at the Number 11 Downing Street reception to launch Reconnecting Britain and India, the book of essays Johnson co-edited with the Indian Chambers of Commerce secretary general Dr Rajiv Kumar.

Rachel Johnson, editor of The Lady, was also representing the Johnson clan, while London Stock Exchange chief executive Xavier Rolet, Driss Ben-Brahim, partner at Man GLG Partners, and Clifford Chance partner Simon Gleeson were among those who heard trade minister Stephen Green outline how the British government is determined to forge a "new special relationship" with New Delhi.

The point is no doubt elaborated on by Prime Minister David Cameron in the "personal reflections" on the ties between the two countries he contributed to the book.

To read the full article click here

Trade minister Lord Green, Prudential chief Tidjane Thiam, Mayor Boris Johnson, Finsbury PR man Roland Rudd, publishing supremo Caroline Michel and various Indian dignitaries were at 11 Downing Street last night for the launch of Reconnecting Britain And India, a new book celebrating the relationship between the two countries.

Tory MP Jo Johnson, former Financial Times' Asia bureau chief and brother of Boris, is co-author and had to apologise for host George Osborne's absence. "Saving the eurozone from financial collapse is just about an acceptable excuse," Johnson told guests, explaining the Chancellor had gone to an emergency meeting of European finance ministers.

Green, former boss of HSBC, was at his most emollient as he wooed the Indian delegation: "If we look backwards, I do think we have taken the British-Indian relationship a little bit for granted." The Tories have made much of the fact David Cameron and Osborne went to India within 10 weeks of taking office whereas it took Gordon Brown 10 years.

To read the full article click here

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, has said: "News that BHAL has resubmitted its application to Bromley Council for a temporary change of the lease during the 2012 Olympic Games has revived fears amongst my constituents that changes could inadvertently set a precedent for a permanent expansion of the airport. While I recognise that the airport has amended its proposal to take into account some of residents' concerns, I remain opposed to any ad hoc change to the lease that could come back to haunt the Council at a future point.

"I therefore once again urge the Council to continue to respect the wishes of local residents, especially those living under the flightpath, who made their views explicit in the public consultation that was held earlier this year.  As I've said before, the concerns of residents must be given the greatest weight in the council's deliberations.  The existing lease, in my view, offers Biggin Hill considerable scope to take advantage of the commercial opportunities offered by the Olympics and I look forward to it playing a proud role in the staging of the greatest show on earth."

Jo Johnson last night launched his latest book, "Reconnecting Britain and India: Ideas for an Enhanced Partnership", at a reception in 11 Downing Street.

Co-edited with Dr Rajiv Kumar, Secretary-General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the book is a collection of thirty four original essays, including introductions by both the British and Indian prime ministers, David Cameron and Dr Manmohan Singh.

As the former South Asia Bureau Chief for the FT, Jo recognises the significance of the coalition Government's call for an 'enhanced partnership' with India and understands that future cooperation will be immensely valuable for the UK in supporting British manufacturing and jobs,  developing our counterterrorism capabilities and promoting British interests overseas. 

Written by contributors based all over the world, designed in the UK and printed in India, in record time and at low cost, the book has attempted to be a model for the UK-India collaboration it seeks to support.  Jo  said at the launch that the crisis in the eurozone underlined the importance for the UK, as it seeks to get out of the slow lane of economic recovery, of doing everything it could to turbo-charge the global partnership with India.

Joseph Johnson: Many of my constituents depend on the existence of a thriving financial services industry in London. They are hard-working, responsible and diligent employees and not at all deserving of the opprobrium that is often heaped on people who work in the sector. Like Professor Willem Buiter of the London School of Economics, they are very much of the view that the financial crisis damaged London's prestige and international standing much more than it did other leading financial centres around the world. Does the Minister share that view?

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Mark Hoban): The financial crisis clearly had an impact on London's standing as a global financial centre, but my hon. Friend will be pleased to note than in the most recent survey of global financial centres London still came top. That is a recognition of London's continued strength. It is important to ensure that we have a well-regulated and well-functioning financial services sector that can not only meet domestic demand, but serve the interests of an array of international companies. I believe that the package we have announced today, coupled with further regulatory changes being made in the European Union and internationally, will help to ensure London's continued pre-eminence as a centre for financial services.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

I am no expert in military logistics, but I was struck by the extraordinary recent deterioration in the performance of the surface route to the Afghan theatre.

Right now, British troops are acutely dependent on our ability to send supplies by sea to Karachi, where they are unloaded and then taken by road through Pakistan. Ahead of this week's Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office provided me with a briefing based on its detailed report into the Ministry of Defence's logistics supply chain. This noted that only 15 per cent of consignments shipped by land through Pakistan between 10 December 2009 and 8 December 2010 arrived within the targeted time of 77-87 days, a fair way off the 75 per cent target.

I pursued this in the hearing with the top brass. Major General Ian Copeland, Director of the Joint Support Chain, assured me that the percentage of consignments to arrive within the targeted delivery time would improve, but only because the MoD had "amended [its] algorithms to reflect the reality of the situation, which is that the surface line of communication — that is, the sea line of communication out of Karachi and then the ground line of communication through Pakistan — is taking much nearer to 120 days, and on most occasions more than 120 days".* In other words, the MoD has simply changed the target to 120 days from 77-87 days. That's one way to get the right result!

On Friday 24 June, between 16.00 and 17.00, Jo will pilot a new way for residents to meet their representative in Parliament.  The event, the first of its kind in Orpington, will be held inside the Tesco supermarket on Orpington High Street and is open to any constituent who would like to raise a concern, seek advice on a particular issue, or simply introduce themselves to their Member of Parliament. Jo will meet residents on a first come first serve basis.  This is in addition to his regular surgeries, which will continue to take place as usual in Orpington, St Mary Cray and Biggin Hill.

Jo said: "Many shoppers will never have been to an MP's surgery and may not even know that they take place at all. I will be delighted to meet any shoppers who want to discuss government policy, simply say hello to their representative in Parliament or want my help on a specific problem."

For dates and times of Jo's regular surgeries click here

Jo has welcomed the government's decision to approve the merger of Orpington and Bromley Colleges.  This means that the new institution, which will continue to have a deputy-head based at the recently upgraded site in Orpington, can be up and running by the start of the new academic year in September. 

Jo said, "The agreed merger of the two colleges would direct funds more effectively to front-line teaching services by streamlining management, and it would provide a higher quality of teaching by maximising resources and removing subject duplication.   The new college will serve as a hub of further and higher education in the borough, while remaining significantly smaller than the "super colleges"  established in some parts of the country.  I am proud that the new merged college will be based in and around my constituency and wish it well in its objective of achieving OfSTED Outstanding status."

Jo has welcomed the announcement of Network Rail's proposals to transform London Bridge Station.   Jo said, "London Bridge is the latest of many London terminals to be given a 21st century makeover.  The plans for the station and the surrounding neighbourhood are stunning, and I know they will be met with great enthusiasm from residents in Orpington, many of whom use London Bridge as a gateway to central London. 

"An increase in passenger capacity by two thirds, step-free access and easing congestion at the station's approach are all long-overdue and most welcome.  I shall be monitoring the efforts of Network Rail to minimise disruption to Southeastern commuters and I look forward to working with officials to ensure rail users are not inconvenienced unnecessarily". 

Bromley's MPs are split over calls for the dismantling of South London Healthcare Trust which manages the town's hospital.  The trust was formed on April 1, 2009, when trusts which managed Princess Royal Hospital in Farnborough merged with those running Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in a bid to save money.

MP for Orpington Jo Johnson said: "It's quite legitimate for stakeholders to explore ways to create a 'campus' for healthcare services at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, so it has a viable future providing an extended range of services." Accounts revealed that the three hospitals are still £45,851,000 in debt – a reduction of £42,954,000 on last year.

To read the full story click here

Bromley's MPs have been left "disgusted" after Ken Livingstone compared Boris Johnson's new chief of staff to a man accused of genocide.  The Labour mayoral hopeful described Eddie Lister, the former leader of Wandsworth council, as "the beast of Wandsworth" and "the Ratko Mladic of local government", at a public meeting at the Crooked Billet pub in Penge High Street last Wednesday.

Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader, is currently at the United Nation's war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands, accused of genocide and other crimes against humanity, including the massacre of at least 7,500 Muslim men and boys from the town of Srebrenica in 1995.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson said: "Even by Ken's standards, it's an appalling remark and an insult to the victims of genocide. It shows a complete lack of perspective and a divisive approach to politics understandably rejected by Londoners."

To read the full story click here

Jo has welcomed the news that the state-of-the-art Orpington Library, located in the Walnuts precinct in the town centre, registered 539 new members in the first ten days after opening on 16 May - a tenfold increase on the previous period last year.  Last week's visiting figures were three times greater than the same week 12 months ago. 

Jo said: "I am thrilled to see that residents of all ages have been flocking to the new library.  It is a highly impressive facility, and I would encourage anyone who hasn't yet paid a visit to do so."

The International Monitary Fund has endorsed the government's plans for clearing up the economic mess left by Labour in a move welcomed by Orpington MP Jo Johnson.

"This is a highly influential international body confirming that the government is right to put the public finances back in order," Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, said. "Asked whether it was time for a change in plan, the IMF gave a clear answer: 'No'."

 In its review of the UK economy released on Monday, the IMF said that "strong fiscal consolidation remained essential to achieving a more stable budgetary position, thus reducing fiscal risks".

 According to the IMF, real GDP growth will remain a moderate 1½ per cent in 2011 before accelerating gradually to around 2½ percent over the medium term.

To read the IMF statement click here

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, welcomed the launch on Friday of a new fruit and vegetable stall, Proper FV, on the Crofton Road in Locksbottom.  Run by Mark and Johnny, Proper FV offers only local produce and Jo was thrilled to purchase two bundles of Orpington asparagus. 

Jo said: "I am delighted to lend my support to Proper FV.  Proper FV embodies this government's commitment to small businesses, British produce, community spirit and healthy living and I know that their stall will be a great contribution to Locksbottom."

 Joseph Johnson: It is critical that we put into perspective UK taxpayers' exposure to the bail-out mechanism. No Government Member relishes having to put the faith or the credit of Her Majesty's Treasury behind the bail-outs of profligate peripheral eurozone countries, especially at a time of austerity at home, but the coalition Government inherited this situation. The temporary bail-out mechanism, which runs until 2013, was agreed on 10 May 2010 by European Finance Ministers at ECOFIN—after the general election, but before the coalition Government were formed. As the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) admitted in Parliament, the Chancellor opposed the mechanism at the time, as was clearly recorded in Hansard on 15 December 2010.  Any Labour Members in doubt about that can verify it for themselves.

Jo opened VTB Mobility in Orpington on Friday.  Jo welcomed the scheme and said:"Mobility scooters are a great way to explore the new Orpington High Street and so I urge less able residents to join up to this excellent local shop mobility scheme."

One year ago, in the wake of an indecisive outcome to the May 2010 General Election, two parties came together to form a strong, stable government in the national interest. The priority of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition is to deal with the economic mess bequeathed to us by the previous Labour government. We inherited the most difficult economic legacy of any peacetime government. That is why we have taken urgent action to reduce our deficit and ensure that government once again lives within its means.

But we have also taken steps to help families struggling with the cost of living – removing millions of the lowest paid from income tax altogether, freezing Council Tax and reducing fuel duty. At the same time we have launched the most radical change to benefits and pensions in half a century – launching the simpler Universal Credit to ensure work always pays, restoring the earnings link to pensions and introducing the new single-tier state pension. We have given powers to teachers to restore discipline to schools, introduced the Pupil Premium for the poorest students and created more academies in one year than Labour did in 13 years.

We have protected NHS spending, set an annual £2.5 billion levy on the banks that will make them safer for society, put a referendum lock on further transfer of powers to Brussels, scrapped ID cards, stopped airport expansion and taken steps to bring down immigration from the hundreds to the tens of thousands. But much more remains to be done over the next four years, and I look forward to working with my ministerial colleagues to ensure that the concerns of Orpington residents are reflected in government policy.

Jo paid a visit earlier today to Harris HospisCare to build awareness of the fund-raising drive on behalf of 200 patients across Orpington and southern Bromley. Jo is seen here with Jan Wickings, nurse manager, Christine Davies, fund-raising manager and Sue McKeer, a volunteer.

For more information on Harris HospisCare click here

Jo gave the start to Friday's Marafun - an annual sponsored run, or walk, through Orpington.  Organised with the help of the Rotary Club, the Marafun raises funds for street kids and orphans in Kenya.  Around 400 competitors took part in the race. 

Jo said, "I was delighted to launch this year's Orpington Marafun – I pay tribute to the organisers of the event, and to all those who took part and raised thousands for Footsteps International – a very worthy charity.  The hard work clearly paid off".

For more information of the Marafun click here

Joseph Johnson: Would the Minister like to take this opportunity to welcome the news that India has just put the European Typhoon, made by BAE Systems, on a shortlist of just two for the hugely valuable multi-role combat aircraft tender, one of the biggest defence orders on the horizon anywhere in the world?

Peter Luff: The simple answer is yes. That is an extremely successful outcome, and we are delighted with it. A lot of effort has been expended by the four partner nations. I was at the Bangalore air show myself in February pursuing the cause, and I am delighted by the outcome. We must now pursue the campaign to a successful conclusion.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo attended the Grand Opening of a new shop, ArtStyle, in the Walnut Centre in Orpington on Saturday 14 May. The shop is a platform for local artists to showcase  their artwork and the response has so far been overwhelming.  Jo Johnson was pleased to meet a number of the artists to congratulate them on their spectacular work and is delighted that ArtStyle had chosen Orpington for a permanent display of local artwork. 

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con):  I'd like to echo the Member for Leicester East in particulraly welcoming the announcement of an additional thirty diplomats to the network in India.  I think they'll play a valuable part in creating the 'enhanced partnership' that the two countries are seeking, and also reversing the decline in our trading relationship that we witnessed under the last government.  As you will know, in 1999 the UK was India's 4th most important source of imports; by 2009 we were 22nd most important.  I believe it is important that these thirty new diplomats put trade representation at the top of their priorities, and I would urge you strongly to make sure that they do that.

William Hague:  Well as my Honourable Friend knows, we have already placed great importance on the links with India and the Prime Minister led the largest ever trade and ministerial delegation to India in July last year.  I'm grateful for his welcome for the additional staff in India and I hope that will allow us to open new consulates-general at various locations in India - although we will have to discuss that with the Indian government and make sure they are happy with these locations. 

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): Does the Minister know of any plans for the Indian Prime Minister to reciprocate, in the light of our Prime Minister's successful visit to India last July?

Mr Browne: Discussions are under way, and we would greatly look forward to welcoming such an eminent political leader to this country. There are no fixed plans at this point, but we hope to advance such plans as soon as possible.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): US Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, recently praised the Government's fiscal reduction plans, saying that the Chancellor had locked the coalition Government into a set of reforms that were "very good". What lessons has he drawn from this powerful endorsement?

Mr Osborne: Of course it is welcome to have the support of the US Treasury Secretary. It is interesting that we have been urged for some months by Labour to follow the US example. The Obama Administration, in the speech the President gave at George Washington university, set out a deficit reduction plan—it is not yet legislated for in Congress—that goes faster and deeper than the one we are promoting here in the UK. I suspect that we will not now hear the argument that we have heard for the past few months from the Labour party.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo Johnson was given a tour of the Bromley Mind centre in Orpington on Friday 6 May.  Bromley Mind is an organisation which works to enhance and enrich the quality of life of people with dementia and mental health needs.  He visited the Day Centre and spent time chatting to staff and service users.

He said "I was thrilled to meet Bromley Mind's volunteers and service users. This extraordinary organisation is doing terrific work to help people with mental health issues and long may it continue."

For more information on Bromley Mind click here

Being the new boy is always difficult – even if you are a 39-year-old man.

As the guest speaker at the Orpington Rotary Club partners evening Jo Johnson gave an account of his experiences as one of the new people at the House of Commons.

The visit to the event at Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre, Court Road, Orpington, was the Orpington MP's first to a rotary club since he was elected last May.

To read the full story click here

MP Jo Johnson paid a visit to a street party in Orpington's Saltwood Close after watching the royal nuptuals on television.

The MP visited organiser Jim Taylor's celebration for his neighbours and joined in the fun, which included a food, music, face painting and a bouncy castle.

Jim, 85, said: "It was great he came along, it was nice to see him. He shook hands with everyone.  The day's gone really well. There was a queue of children at the gate at 10am to have a go on the bouncy castle, three hours before we opened. We are hoping to wear them out so we adults can have our own party later on."

To read the full story click here

Pakistan: A Hard Country, by Anatol Lieven, Allen Lane, RRP£30, 576 pages


Take any investment bank's list of the top 10 geopolitical risks compiled at any point over the past decade and state failure in Pakistan will feature prominently. This is partly because it is a nuclear power, has one of the largest armies in the world and has been a source of numerous terrorist plots unleashed in the west. It is also because of its strategic location at the junction of Iran, China and India, its ability to influence the outcome of the west's decade-long war against the Afghan Taliban and its sheer size. With more than 180m people, its population is six times that of Afghanistan, twice that of Iran and almost two-thirds that of the entire Arab world.

By the middle of this century, according to the World Bank, Pakistan's population might reach 335m – 10 times the level recorded in the 1951 census. With such numbers, the consequences of state failure would inevitably cross borders, to the detriment of India and the rest of south Asia, home to a fifth of humanity, but also to the west and China. Long after western forces have departed Afghanistan, they will retain a vital interest in the stability of Pakistan. As the floods of 2010 showed, the challenges for Pakistan extend far beyond the Islamist insurgency: the devastating effects of ecological change pose an equally serious existential threat.

Live on Sky News earlier today, Jo promised that under the Coalition Government, banks are 'going to be held much more to account' and told Adam Boulton that bank lending to small businesses will be up by 15 per cent this year.

A topping out ceremony has been held at Orpington's new library to celebrate it being just a month away from opening to the public.  Work is almost complete on the £1.5m scheme in College Square which Bromley Council hopes will revitalise the area.

The existing library at The Priory, Church Hill, will close on April 30 and the new one in the ground and first floor of the council building at The Walnuts will open on May 16.It is set to boast improved community facilities, including meeting areas and more reading areas, along with longer opening hours than at the current site.

Executive councillor for renewal and recreation Julian Benington said: "Even in this difficult economic climate we still need to invest in first class services for local residents.  "The opening for the new library is in sight."

To see the full story click here

Orpington shoppers will soon be able to hire wheelchairs and scooters to visit the shops and use the local facilities. The news follows the £2.2 improvement scheme to Orpington High Street and support from local MP Jo Johnson. Mobility retailer VTB Mobility Limited is planning to launch the new scheme next month, which will improve access for less able people.

"Mobility scooters are a great way to explore the new Orpington High Street and so I urge less able residents to join up to this excellent local shop mobility scheme" said Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington.

Shopmobility is a national scheme which lends manual wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs and powered scooters to residents with limited mobility to shop and visit facilities within town centres. In order to use the scheme customers will be asked to register for a small fee. Once they have signed up, the wheelchairs, scooters and other equipment will be available to hire on a daily basis. It is not a requirement to be registered disabled to use the scheme.

Continuing uncertainty over the future of Orpington Hospital is unsettling for both NHS staff and for those residents who rely on healthcare services provided from the existing site. Significant changes to the existing services delivered from the Orpington site must have public support and that's why I held an urgent meeting on Friday with Dr Chris Streather, the chief executive of SLHT.

I have again reiterated that there should be no net loss of locally-delivered services in Orpington and that residents and GPs should have the chance to participate in a full and open public consultation over all proposals for significant changes to the provision of the healthcare currently provided on the Orpington site.

"We are delighted that Jo Johnson has accepted our invitation to become our President", said club Chairman Jeff Cockburn. "Jo is a well respected member of the community who will no doubt help to raise the profile of the club and its ability to provide an opportunity for local youngsters to participate in sport."

Jo said, "I am thrilled to come on board as President. The Club performs immensely valuable work in bringing young people into sport and in fostering a sense of community in Orpington. It was great to meet some of the Club's young stars and I wish the players the best for the rest of the season."

Jo is pictured with Orpington FC chairman, Jeff Cockburn, and three young players of the club (Ben Sturgess, Danielle Lyon & Sam Tidmarsh).

Orpington FC run four senior sides, including a women's team, a soccer school for girls and boys aged 5-8 years and youth teams from ages u9-u16.  The teams play at a number of venues in and around the Orpington area (Green Court Road, Crockenhill; Oxford Road, Sidcup; Grassmead, St Mary Cray; Petts Wood Rec Ground; and Sparrows Den, West Wickham).  The first and second teams compete in the Vandanel Kent County League with the youth sides playing in a variety of leagues in the local area.

For more information on Orpington FC, click here

Joseph Johnson: What recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation on Libya's borders with Tunisia and Egypt. [49673]

The Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Andrew Mitchell): More than 350,000 people have crossed the Libyan borders since the crisis began. Early action by Britain and others has ensured that a logistical crisis has not, so far at least, developed into a humanitarian emergency.

Joseph Johnson: One of the biggest challenges facing Egypt's transition to democracy is the fragile state of its economy, with capital rapidly leaving the country. Can the Secretary of State please say what he will do to stop the additional pressure on the Egyptian economy from the influx of refugees from Libya, which is draining it of remittances and pushing up already high unemployment?

Mr Mitchell: My hon. Friend is right to identify a most important issue. I have made clear Britain's significant contribution to ensuring that migrants are flown home. On the other points that he mentioned, some of that is a matter for the Paris Club of creditors, the other international financial institutions and the significant funding available from the European Union through the neighbourhood funds.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

I am deeply worried by reports that South London Healthcare Trust (SLHT) is considering radical options for the future of Orpington Hospital, including the partial sale of the site for residential development.

I have spoken this afternoon to Dr Chris Streather, the chief executive of SLHT, to demand that there should be no net loss of locally-delivered services in Orpington and to insist that residents and GPs have the chance to participate in a full and open public consultation over the future provision of the healthcare currently provided on the Orpington site.

I remain committed to ensuring that Orpington residents enjoy the high quality local healthcare provision that they need and deserve. I will be meeting with Dr Streather at Orpington Hospital on Friday to discuss its future. I will seek further reassurances from him that the decision-making process will be transparent and open to the public, and that the welfare of residents will at all times be the Trust's and Commisioners' primary consideration.

Undeterred by spots of rain young activists took part in London Conservative Future's monthly Super Saturday. This month's event was held in Orpington, where members teamed up with local MP Jo Johnson to deliver leaflets for No to AV ahead of next month's referendum.

Jo Johnson spent the day with the activists and congratulated them on their stellar work saying, "It is a testament to the strength of feeling against AV that so many young activists chose to give up their Saturday and come to Orpington to campaign against a complicated and expensive electoral system. I know local residents were delighted to welcome them – they all did a brilliant job and I've no doubt that their efforts and enthusiasm will contribute to a decisive victory for the NO campaign on May 5th."

To read the full story click here

MP for Orpington Jo Johnson said: "Fears of the airport's expansion has been a matter of tremendous concern to my constituents – in particular the fear that any temporary change to the lease could be exploited by Biggin Hill through the courts to eventually seek a permanent revision of the lease."

Amongst other concerns was the airport's close proximity to the Princess Royal Hospital in Farnborough, with reports that doctors and nurses have to stop talking to patients as planes fly over.

Other councillors said Biggin Hill had made a weak business case and there would be no financial benefit to the borough.

To read the full story click here

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): It is an honour to follow in the slipstream of the new Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis), who has executed an elegant parachute jump into the Chamber. His forceful and powerful speech was a reminder of how important it is, at a time when the country is making ever greater demands on its armed forces, that we hear the voices of our servicemen and women from all parts of the Chamber.

Thus far we have touched several times on the critical role that the bond markets are playing in framing the budgetary policy of this coalition Government. The hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Sir Stuart Bell), who is no longer in the Chamber, asked when it was that bond markets acquired this pivotal role in our national economic policy making. If I may venture an answer, I think that the views of rating agencies became impossible to ignore when towards the middle of the previous decade-before the onset of the financial crisis-the British Government "lost control of public spending" in three key Government Departments: Health, Education and Defence. Those are not my words or views but those of Sir Nicholas Macpherson, the permanent secretary of Her Majesty's Treasury, as expressed in a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee not so long ago; they are available in the Committee report if people wish to have a look.

It is also important for the hon. Member for Middlesbrough to realise that we live in a globalised financial market, and if one cannot fund one's borrowing requirements from captive domestic sources, inevitably one is forced upon the mercies of the international capital markets, and that is exactly where we find ourselves today.

 The Facebook and Twitter revolutionaries are taking a beating at the hands of the Brothers. The results of Saturday's referendum are now out and they point to a simple truth: the internet was fine as a tool for gathering a few hundred thousand youths in Tahrir Square; but it is largely irrelevant as a means of winning elections across large swathes of Egypt, where three-quarters of the 83 million population have no internet connection at all.

On a massive turnout, and in the fairest vote in the country's modern history, 77 per cent of Egyptians sided with the Muslim Brotherhood in saying "Yes" to a quick and dirty patch-up of the existing Constitution. This means early elections and a likely clean sweep for established political groups, namely the Brothers and the remnants of Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP), at a time when the twitterati have yet to organise themselves into coherent political parties.

A vote that the Facebookers ill-advisedly decided to transform into a referendum on the Muslim Brotherhood has given the once banned movement a popular legitimacy that is now hard to deny. The Brothers are not just reaping the rewards of their years as the only visible opposition to the Mubarak regime. They also ran an aggressive and disciplined campaign, declaring that it was a religious duty for all Muslims to "Vote Yes" to the proposed constitutional amendments.

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, has welcomed the decision by Bromley Council to reject proposals to temporarily alter the lease during the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Jo said, "Overall, this was the right decision.  Fears of the airport's expansion has been a matter of tremendous concern to my constituents – in particular the fear that any temporary change to the lease could be exploited by BHAL through the courts to eventually seek a permanent revision of the lease. 

"I know my constituents will be greatly relieved by last night's decision, and I am grateful, on behalf of all who live under the flightpath, to Bromley Council for respecting the wishes of local residents.  However, I've no doubt that Biggin Hill will still be able to play its part in our capital's proud celebrations next summer, and I look forward to working with BHAL to ensure that happens."

Public anger at bankers this bonus season is running so high in the UK that Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, openly boasts of wanting to "wring their necks". Such language, unimaginable before the financial crisis, betrays an understandable frustration. British politicians are discovering the limits of their ability to target irresponsible bankers without simultaneously damaging the UK's international competitiveness, not just in finance, but in all industries dependent on attracting and retaining mobile skilled workers.

Take the 50p rate of income tax on incomes over £150,000. Introduced in April 2010, the 10 percentage point increase was the largest seen in any European Union state. Those who seemingly despise bankers, a distressingly large proportion of the electorate, hail it as a progressive tax on City of London "fat cats". It is rapidly becoming clear, however, that it is a rather crude instrument for the collective punishment of this banker class, somewhat like the EU fishing quotas that encourage trawlers to catch and discard more fish than they ever take to shore.

Jo visited the Griffins Sensory Support Service last week where he was given a tour of the centre and the opportunity to meet pupils and parents.  Griffins is a service run by Bromley Council to help children with visual or hearing difficulties by offering advice, family support and specialist teaching.

After visiting the centre, Jo said, "I applaud Griffins' tremendous work in providing so much assistance to children with a visual or hearing impairment.  I was proud to visit the centre last week and impressed by the courage of the pupils and the dedication of staff.  I look forward to continuing to work with Griffins and will give them all the support they need." 

For more information on Griffins click here

Taxing bankers to death is more difficult than "wring[ing] their necks", the punishment Nick Clegg says he favours.  That's why the 50p rate – dubbed the "banker tax" – was always going to be a blunderbuss of a weapon with which to punish the guilty men of the UK's financial services community.

In a recent hearing of the Public Accounts Committee, I asked Treasury Permanent Secretary Sir Nicholas Macpherson how many people working in financial services actually paid the tax.  Unable to give an answer at the time, Sir Nick agreed to provide a written note to the committee.

I read it over the weekend and, as I suspected, the 50p rate is overwhelmingly paid by non-financiers. Brilliant!  Out of the 275,000 paying the new top rate of tax, only 63,000 work in 'financial intermediation', defined to encompass banks, insurance firms and pension funds.

Transport for London has pledged measures to improve the 320 bus service in a move welcomed by elected representatives. At a meeting in Westminster, TfL Deputy Chairman Daniel Moylan promised to introduce an extra bus for the route, starting in April, and to continue the clampdown on curtailments at Biggin Hill Aiport. Mr Moylan said: “On behalf of the Mayor, I am happy to pledge that TfL is going to make this new service work as well for its passengers, including the people of Biggin Hill, as the old 320 service did.”

Jo Johnson, MP for Orpington, said: “I’m delighted TfL has responded to our concerns, but I won’t let up until the 320 is up to scratch again.”

With effect from April 11, the number of buses operating the 320 route between Biggin Hill and Catford will increase to 12. Mr Moylan agreed to a performance review after three months and pledged to take additional remedial measures at that time if the service was not found to be running to an acceptable standard. Performance of the 320 has suffered since the route from Biggin Hill to Bromley North was extended to Catford last August. TfL has admitted to receiving 172 complaints between 28 August 2010 and 15 February 2011. Cllr Norrie added: “I welcome any comments and ask that all failings are reported to TFL to ensure a true record of performance.”

James Cleverly, London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley, said: "I look forward to a more reliable 320, but will be keeping a close eye on this route to ensure TfL delivers on its promises."

On the 1st March, Bob Neill, Jo Johnson and Bob Stewart joined representatives of the consumer group CAMRA to celebrate its 40th birthday. The event, which took place on the Terrace Pavilion in the House and Commons, gave all three local MPs an opportunity to speak with CAMRA volunteers about the brewery industry and about the measures that they feel are necessary to safeguard the future of local pubs. They were also joined by Robert Wicks, Founding Director of the award winning Westerham Brewery in Kent.

Jo Johnson, Member of Parliament for Orpington, said:"I welcome the tremendous work CAMRA performs in supporting struggling pubs in Orpington. A thriving pub sector is good for British business and helps bring local communities together."

To read the full story click here

Residents have started a petition against an application to move a mobile phone mast from the roof of a fire station to near their homes.  Those living in and around the junction with Spur Road and Court Road, in Orpington, claim the 12.5-metre pylon will be unsightly and could pose health risks.  They are collecting signatures against the application to relocate the O2 and Vodafone mast from the roof of Orpington fire station, which has been submitted on behalf of the companies by telecoms organisation Waldon.

Resident and campaigner Steve Coster, 62, said: "We are not happy about the fact they seem to be dumping this on our streets. It is higher than a lamppost and it seems a very odd place to put it.

The retired BT manager and another resident Alan Smith visited Orpington MP Jo Johnson on Friday to make him aware of their concerns.  Mr Coster said: "When I explained the situation to Mr Johnson he said: 'Why can't they put the mast back on the fire station?' So he saw our point straightaway. He would make some enquiries about it with the London Fire Brigade."

To read the full story click here

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): What steps he is taking to reduce the risk of fraud in public sector procurement. [42481]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude): The National Fraud Authority estimates that £21 billion is lost to fraud in the public sector each year, on top of which there is a so far unquantified loss from error and from uncollected debt. It is estimated that £2.4 billion of that £21 billion is lost to procurement fraud, and that is unacceptable. The Prime Minister has asked me to chair a counter-fraud taskforce comprising members from government and private sector experts to tackle the issue. We are overseeing a series of pilots, including one on procurement, to drive forward ways to tackle public sector fraud, and we will report our findings in due course.

Jo spoke to fellow MPs today of the numerous transport problems facing people in Orpington and Biggin Hill in a debate on South East London rail services.

On the 320 bus, Jo repeated that the new route beyond Bromley "has not worked" and he "would urge TfL to revert back to the old route" which was "very successful".

On the breakdown of Orpington lifts, he called for Southeastern to show "more responsiveness to the concerns of constituents.  We were faced with a situation in Orpington where a lift so necessary for people of limited mobility was out of action for eight weeks at the beginning of this year.  It took the threat of a wheelchair demonstration of disabled people to bring the lift back to working order." 

On fast trains to Orpinginton, Jo raised the issue of fast trains stopping at Orpington during peak hours.  "This is a major commuter town – and my constituents are on their knees begging for this service."

Jo has received the following response from Bromley Borough Commander Charles Griggs, with the excellent news that frontline policing and the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) will be maintained across the borough:

Thank you for your letter in support of Safer Neighbourhoods in Bromley.  

As the result of the local consultation, I am proposing to retain the current ward based structure, with a sergeant leading each team.  The will include flexibility to redstribute some PC and Police Community Support Officer posts based on individual ward crime and disorder demands.  

Bromley Council has asked interested parties to engage in a public consultation on the proposed merger between Orpington College, located in the constituency I represent in Parliament, and Bromley College. I strongly support the merger being proposed by the governing bodies of the two colleges and on behalf of my constituents, many of whom will be affected by the outcome of the consultation, I would like to make the following points:

·         The merger will direct funds more effectively to front-line teaching services, by combining administrative overheads and management posts.  Major efficiency gains are particularly essential at a time of great pressure on public expenditure.  Savings can also be met through shared assets such as premises, teaching material and online facilities.  There will of course be one-off costs, but they are expected to be dwarfed by potential savings.  Streamlined management will also allow the College to be more flexible and responsive to the needs of its students.

I am "strongly opposed" to Biggin Hill Airport's plans to seek changes to its Lease, as my submission to Bromley Council's consultation makes clear.

Running scheduled services and carrying individual fare paying passengers requires the explicit permission of Bromley Council, as landlord. If these restrictions are lifted, even if only temporarily for the Olympics, the Council risks undermining a key point of principle. It might inadvertently pave the way for further legal challenges by BHAL, which, if successful, could turn the airport into another Luton, with larger and noisier planes.

The airport has been around since the dawn of aviation, played a historic role in the Second World War and will, I hope, contribute greatly to the local economy in the years ahead. But, to fulfil its potential, it needs to co-exist in harmony with large neighbouring residential communities. That's why my submission to the consultation urges the Council to give the concerns of my constituents, especially those under the flightpath, the greatest weight in its deliberations.

To read the article in full click here

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): Which bodies he has consulted in the preparation of guidance on the implementation of the Bribery Act 2010. [40454]

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Kenneth Clarke): I am at present working on the guidance to commercial organisations to make it practical and useful for legitimate business and trade. It will be published once I am confident that it addresses the legitimate concerns of all those who took part in the consultation process and who have made representations to me. The publication of the guidance will be followed by a three-month notice period before full implementation of the Act.

Joseph Johnson: Many of our competitors overseas will not be so keen to rule out bribery as a means of competing. What steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that British businesses are not put at a competitive disadvantage?

Mr Clarke: Along with the United States and others, we are one of the leading countries in pressing for a drive against corruption in the world, because corruption is bad for all business, including British business when it tries to export to other countries. Because of the debate that is taking place about the Act, I have had to reassure my American colleagues that we are not falling behind and that we will implement the Act. It is very important that we put ourselves where we should be-in the forefront of stamping out corruption not only in the developing world but in international trade generally.

To read the full Hansard transcript click here

Jo is continuing to exert pressure on Transport for London, calling on them to urgently restore the original 320 bus route between Biggin Hill and Bromley South, before it was extended to Catford last August.  The picture (left) of three 320 buses that was taken yesterday afternoon is further proof, if it were needed, that the current service is failing residents of Biggin Hill.  The traffic around Catford causes systemic delays, leaving TfL no choice but to run empty buses to regulate the service, or eject passengers mid-journey.  Jo has made it clear that this is unacceptable, and that the only solution is to revert back to the shorter service. 

Cold turkey would hardly have been a sensible way for the UK to withdraw aid from India. There are too many DfID programmes on the ground that still need British support, reflecting the fact that the UK (the last time I checked) had a near 30 per cent share of all bilateral foreign aid to the country.

Andrew Mitchell, the secretary of state for international development, has instead sensibly decided to freeze the overall quantum of aid to New Delhi, currently running at about £280m a year, while shifting a large chunk of it towards investment in private enterprise, focusing it more narrowly on the parts of the country that need it most and measuring its impact more systematically than in the past. The direction of travel is clear. After a decade in which the UK sharply increased its aid to India, making it DfID's single largest country programme, the trend is now in the other direction. As aid to India falls in real terms, it will be overtaken by Ethiopia as Britain's largest aid programme.

Bromley Council has asked interested parties to engage in a public consultation on Biggin Hill Airport Limited's (BHAL) request for changes to its Lease so that it can present a broader range of travel options for visitors during the Olympic Games. Changes to the Lease are a matter for the Council to decide. As the Member of Parliament for Orpington, I have no direct role in this matter, but on behalf of my constituents, many of whom have contacted me in relation to the consultation, I would like to make the following points:

 ·         BHAL, as the tenant, needs the Council's permission to extend its hours and to amend other conditions outlined in the lease and operating schedules. It is important to remember that the primary reason the Council originally purchased the freehold was to protect residents' interests and to ensure that the airport continues to be viable. It is critical that the Council strikes the right balance in serving these potentially conflicting goals over the coming years. 

Jo had a fantastic afternoon last Friday talking with students from the Newstead Wood Politics Society.  Jo fielded questions on his time as an MP, what it would mean for Newstead Wood to be an academy, the Millenium Development Goals, and tuition fees. 

For more information on Newstead Wood School click here

Biggin Hill Airport has requested permission from its landlord Bromley Council to open from 6.30am to 11pm each day from July 13 to September 23 in 2012.

Orpington MP Jo Johnson is concerned about creating a precedent if the airport's proposals are approved.  While supportive of getting behind the Olympic effort, Mr Johnson said it was paramount those living under the flight path were given "the greatest weight" in any decision.

Mr Johnson said: "It's important everybody swings behind the Olympic effort. It's a national event, we all have a contribution to make.  However I am extremely concerned at the possibility that we accidentally, in support of the Olympics, set a precedent that considerably changes the nature of the airport to the detriment of very large residential communities who could suffer as a result."

To read the full story click here

In the latest session of the Public Accounts Committee, Jo questioned Sir Nicholas Macpherson, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and Tom Scholar, Gordon Brown's chief of staff at Number 10, on Labour's bailout of the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2008, and the establishment of the Asset Protection Scheme.  Read extracts of the transcript below:

Joseph Johnson: Why did we have lending commitments at all in this agreement if you did not believe they were enforceable and had no real interest in pursuing them? Why did the Treasury bother with them at all?

MP Jo Johnson says it is "beyond ridiculous" that the lifts at Orpington train station have been out of service since before Christmas.  The Orpington MP says he is putting as much pressure as possible on Southeastern Trains, which runs the station, to get the lifts working again.  UK Power Networks, which supplies electricity to the station, has tried to restore enough voltage to the lifts to get them working but it has not been successful.

Mr Johnson said: "It's beyond ridiculous that lifts which are essential for people with limited mobility have not been working for so long.  We have been in weekly contact with Southeastern on this since the power cut on December 23.  UK Power Networks have made five or six visits and unbelievably they have not been able to get enough voltage to the lifts.  I can't understand why. It's not like it's a power reactor.  I do not care where responsibility lies; the perception is that Southeastern has to get it sorted out.  They need to show greater imagination to get this fixed."

To read the full article click here

Two of the borough's MPs have paid a visit to a breast cancer support centre. 

Bromley and Chislehurst MP Bob Neill and Orpington MP Jo Johnson were given a tour of the Primrose Centre in Prudence Lane, Farnborough.  The centre, which offers reflexology, aromatherapy and counselling three days a week, is based at a converted 1864 chapel on the Princess Royal University Site. 

Director Mary Spinks said, "Both MPs were very impressed by the centre.  They were very gracious about there being a facility available for people in South East London."

To read the article online click here

For more information about the Primrose Centre click here  

How does the world look from Westminster? Foreign policy is woefully under-scrutinised in the UK, where governments can wage war and sign treaties without reference to parliament, and the limited attention it does receive could arguably be better directed.  One way to assess the prism through which MPs view the world is to analyse the slot for foreign office questions, which comes around only once every five sitting weeks and lasts about an hour. To judge from the map generated by the questions that MPs have managed to put to Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers since the general election, their concerns bear curiously little relation to the way the world is moving.

Jo has welcomed the Coalition Government's world-leading website www.police.uk which provides data maps that show crime and anti-social behaviour at a street by street level in Orpington.  This means, from today, everyone can see exactly what crime is happening and where - right down to the level of their street corner. If anyone has concerns about the crime they see or how issues are dealt with, they can raise them with the police.

 Jo said, 'I am really pleased that the Government has demonstrated that they are serious about cutting the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities.  By providing crime data in an open format that anyone can access, even from their mobile, we can all hold the police to account. We can ensure that they deal with the issues that actually matter to us locally - and not those decided by a Whitehall bureaucrat'.

Jo was delighted to give a talk earlier today to AS and A2 politics students from the Priory School, about his time as Orpington's Member of Parliament.  Jo spoke about what inspired him to enter the political scene, his own experiences of being an MP, and gave an overview of his parliamentary voting record so that the students could see how they are represented. Jo concluded with a quick Q&A session.  

For more information about the Priory School, click here

 India calling: An intimate portrait of a nation's remaking, by Anand Giridharadas, Times Books ($25, £17.99)


Capturing the monumental changes sweeping India is a feat many attempt but few manage. Some of the most perceptive have been those such as Anand Giridharadas who have returned to the country their parents left behind. They bring an insider-outsider mentality, which provides both insight and perspective. They also have a "before and after" picture, a monochrome snapshot of the stagnant country of their childhood visits to set against the technicolour, endlessly protean power it has become.

In India Calling, Giridharadas has written the best of this now established genre. In a newly self-confident nation, he finds, returnees are no longer lauded. Reading Shobhaa Dé, the Mumbai novelist, he learns that the children of the departed were only heading back because the "party's over" in the west. "But sorry," she says, "nobody wants latecomers to the one happening in India."

A top Treasury civil servant has said Government departments "lost control" of public spending under Labour.  Sir Nicholas Macpherson, permanent secretary of the Treasury, had been giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee when he made the comments.

Challenged by Conservative MP Jo Johnson over whether he would say the MoD was the only major department to have lost control of its spending, Sir Nicholas replied: "No, I wouldn't."

To watch Jo challenge Sir Nicholas click here

Daily Telegraph: Labour lost control of spending says Brown's Treasury mandarin

The Guardian: Treasury chief says ministries lost control of spending under Labour

Daily Mail: Treasury exposes the full turmoil of Labour's spending: Three Whitehall departments lost control during party's time in power

Sir Nicholas Macpherson, the top civil servant at HM Treasury, told Jo in a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee that Labour had "lost control of public spending" in at least three key government departments –health, education and defence – in the "middle of the last decade".

Jo said: "This is a big admission. The top civil servant at the Treasury has admitted that Labour lost control of public spending when it was in power. His comments have blown another massive hole in the Labour party's economic credibility, underling the extent to which opposition leadership remains in total denial over its mismanagement of the economy prior to the financial crisis."   

To read more about the Public Accounts Committee, click here

Last Friday, Jo was very proud to open the Orpington branch of Plumb Centre – what will be the largest of its kind in the UK.  Jo said "Plumb Centre will bring a terrific contribution to Orpington – it is an excellent provider of local jobs, a showcase of this country's latest and most innovative renewable technologies, and a leading distributer to local homes and businesses, promising to save them vast sums on water and electricity bills.  Plumb Centre is an illustrious example of the Government's Green Deal – supporting British jobs and British business to build a green economy for the 21st Century – and I am delighted that it's right here in Orpington."

To see more about plumb centre, click here

Jo has said that, "the South London Healthcare Trust must urgently ensure that all its services are meeting essential standards of quality and safety. As the Care Quality Commission has stated, these are the standards of care patients have a right to expect in any hospital, and I will hold the trust management to account if it continues to fail to meet them."

Jo thanks and congratulates Sergeant Katey Martin and all of the Darwin Safer Neighbourhood Team for making London's largest ward officially the safest of Greater London's 624 wards.

The latest crime figures released show Darwin ward in Bromley as being the ward with the fewest reported crimes, with 207 for the nine month period April to December 2010.  The next safest wards are Bromley's Shortlands ward and Kingston's Surbiton Hill ward, both with 223 crimes during the same period.  Overall crime in Bromley fell by 9.4% between April and December 2010, from 18,210 offences to 16,493 offences.

Sergeant Katey Martin, head of the Darwin Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "These figures really do speak for themselves and this is exactly the result we want to achieve through Safer Neighbourhood policing, where officers are responding to public priorities in the place where it matters most. These figures demonstrates the commitment of the Team to resolving local problems in the most robust way possible. The challenge now is to improve on this performance, which we will be working hard to do. Darwin is the safest ward in London and I want to keep it that way".

To see more click here

MP Jo Johnson has hit out at rail operator Southeastern over its latest increase in fares.  The Conservative yesterday told the House of Commons that the services offered a "lamentable value for money" and called for a debate between members.

Mr Johnson said: "Its fares have just risen by a higher rate than any other operator in the country to the outrage of my constituents in Orpington and doubtless those of many other MPs in the franchise region."

To read the full story click here

Local MP Jo Johnson has urged Transport for London to restore the original route of the 320 bus service.  Mr Johnson said residents had "flooded" his office with complaints about the service, extended last year to serve Catford.  But under the new timetable, the service is frequently cut short at Biggin Hill airport, infuriating passengers who want to reach the valley.

In a letter to Tfl, the MP said: "The 320 is of immense importance to isolated Biggin Hill residents, who rely on it. They deserve better.  I have received letters from a considerable number of distressed pensioners, who were dumped at their airport to wait for the next bus in the rain and snow.  This is clearly unacceptable."

For full story click here

Joseph Johnson (Orpington) (Con): Is it possible for the House to debate the lamentable value for money of commuter rail services provided by Southeastern? Its fares have just risen by a higher rate than any other operator in the country to the outrage of my constituents in Orpington and doubtless those of many other MPs in the franchise region.

Sir George Young: I understand my hon. Friend's concern on behalf of his constituents. There will be questions to the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 January, but in the mean time, he and other Members for south-east London might like to apply for a debate in Westminster Hall or an Adjournment debate. Let me say finally that the comprehensive spending review provided a generous settlement for rail investment. That has to be funded and I think it is legitimate to look to travellers to pay their part in funding that investment.

To read full Hansard transcript click here

To see all questions asked by Jo click here

Jo Johnson has fired a warning shot at Biggin Hill airport, revealing he is "strongly opposed" to its expansion.  Writing for this newspaper, Mr Johnson said he was watching the airport's proposals to protect the quality of life of residents who live under the flight path.

The MP said it had been a "privilege" to speak up for local residents in Parliament, where he has "held Government to account on critical issues such as the performance of South Eastern trains and the future of our heavily indebted local hospitals".

Mr Johnson said he was concerned Biggin Hill residents have been "shortchanged" by poor service on the 320 bus route, which he said had been "a disgrace in recent weeks", and has urged Transport for London to "get a grip fast".

To read the full story click here