Scott Arthur MP: written questions 2025
334 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Social Security Benefits: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on incentivising employment among affected families.
Answer: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on child poverty levels in Edinburgh South West constituency.
Answer: This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to gi...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on child poverty levels in (a) working families and (b) minority ethnic groups.
Answer: This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to gi...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80364More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve long-term quality of life for people (a) living with and (b) beyond cancer under the National Cancer Plan.
Answer: The National Cancer Plan, which will be published early in the new year, will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, and research and ...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish a framework for neighbourhood cancer care as part of the National Cancer Plan.
Answer: Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is for our health system to fit around people’s lives. The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their hom...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that neighbourhood cancer care models in the National Cancer Plan contribute to reducing health inequalities.
Answer: Our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is for our health system to fit around people’s lives. The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean that millions of patients are treated and cared for closer to their hom...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Protection: Fines and TaxationTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80361More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce environmental (a) taxes and (b) fines to reinvest in (i) green infrastructure and (ii) low carbon innovation.
Answer: The government has in place ambitious environmental taxes as part of its commitment to make polluters pay for their emissions and support investment into decarbonisation. The UK’s leading carbon pricing policy is the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many existing claimants are awaiting a Work Capability Assessment; what the average wait time is; and when he expects the backlog to be cleared.
Answer: During the second half of 2024, DWP experienced a much higher level of demand for new Work Capability Assessments (WCA) than envisaged. As a result, 35,000 reassessments built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We h...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPensions: TrustsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 71920 on Pensions: Trusts, what the (a) terms of reference are and (b) delivery schedule is for that consultation.
Answer: The Government will consult on trust-based pension scheme governance, professional and sole trustees, accreditation and skills, member voice and supporting lay trustees. We would encourage interested parties to engage with the consultation when it launche...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Supply ChainsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he plans to take through the new trade strategy to help ensure that farmers and workers in global supply chains earn a living wage.
Answer: In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK's approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery and environmental harms and addressing such issues.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEquality and Human Rights Commission: Codes of PracticeWomen and EqualitiesTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80357More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) the public and (b) Parliament can scrutinise the EHRC's updated code of practice for services, public functions and associations before any decision is made about it
Answer: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the six week consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Parliamentary process for l...
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish the decision making process behind the proposal to restrict access to the Universal Credit Health Element for under-22s.
Answer: The reasoning for this proposal, set out in the Pathways to Work green paper published in March, is the removal of a potential disincentive to work and the possibility that resources may be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the social return on investment of the Access to Work programme.
Answer: Following the close of the Pathways to Work Green Paper Consultation at the end of June we are reviewing the Scheme. Its social value lies in supporting people who have a disability or health condition to move into or sustain paid employment. We are conti...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Universal Credit Health Element on poverty among disabled people.
Answer: The Department published an updated assessment of the poverty impacts of the health/disability benefit changes announced at Spring Statement with revisions to reflect the proposed changes since tabled. This estimates that there will be 50,000 fewer indivi...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMotability: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid directly to the Motability scheme in 2024-25.
Answer: For the financial year 2024–2025 the total value of benefits transferred by Department for Work and Pensions to the Motability scheme was £3,074,920,421.67. The Motability Scheme receives no direct funding from DWP. However, it does receive the direct tra...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMotabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to incentivise the Motability scheme to source British manufactured cars.
Answer: Motability Foundation is a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission so is independent of government. The Scheme is delivered by Motability Operations which is an independent commercial company under contract to the charity. The Motability Fo...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMotabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on incentivising the Motability scheme to buy British manufactured cars.
Answer: Motability Foundation is a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission so is independent of government. The Scheme is delivered by Motability Operations which is an independent commercial company under contract to the charity. The Motability Fo...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered introducing a national requirement for the PAS1899 accessibility standard for EV charging stations.
Answer: Earlier this year, the Government and Motability Foundation co-sponsored a review of the PAS 1899:2022 standards, and are looking to address challenges identified. The Government will continue to monitor the adoption of the standards and their impact on a...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department is prioritising Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claimants over reassessments.
Answer: The Department prioritises Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for new benefit claims (and for individuals already receiving UC who join the UC health journey) in order to assess these individuals’ capability for work at the earliest opportunity. This is so...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in Work Capability Assessments for existing claimants who have reported a deterioration in their health.
Answer: The Department prioritises Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for new benefit claims (and for individuals already receiving UC who join the UC health journey) in order to assess these individuals’ capability for work at the earliest opportunity. This is so...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77347More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what medicines procured by NHS England are imported from Israel.
Answer: Whilst NHS England does put in place procurement frameworks for trusts to procure medicines, NHS England itself does not procure any medicines.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Church Commissioners on extending the spending cap on the Listed Places of Worship scheme after 2026.
Answer: The future of the grant scheme funding after March 2026 will be considered as we work through the results of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.The Department has had various meetings with representatives of the Church and othe...
Answered 30 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the potential savings from the introduction of the £25,000 annual cap on grants under the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.
Answer: In January this government announced that we would extend the Listed Places of Worship Scheme for one year with an overall budget of £23 million, coming into effect from April 2025. Previous to that the budget for the scheme was up to £42 million, with an...
Answered 30 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of an annual cap on grants to individual places of worship under the Listed Places of Worship Scheme on those places of wo
Answer: DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including consideration of the potential impact on introducing an annual cap of £25,000 per place of worship for the 2025/26 financial year.The changes to the scheme w...
Answered 26 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPerfluorooctanoic Acid: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to further restrict the (a) sale or (b) use of (i)perfluorooctanoic acid and (ii) products which contain it.
Answer: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds are already banned in the UK under the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation 2019/1021, as amended. That legislation prohibits the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of PO...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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