Scott Arthur MP: written questions
65 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Aviation: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether aviation performance statistics adequately reflect passenger experience after an aircraft has arrived on stand; and whether the department would consider introducing repo
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Regional AirportsHome OfficeTabled 14 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29644More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Border Force processing capacity at regional airports, such as Edinburgh Airport.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAirports: PassengersHome OfficeTabled 14 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29643More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency arrangements are in place when passenger numbers arriving at UK airports exceed forecast levels; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of eGate technology in reducing
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordSatellites: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 11 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 29270More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect and enhance UK sovereign capability to design and build satellites.
Answer: Through the UK Space Strategy, Government is investing £7.8 billion in the UK space sector to 2029/30, including £2.8 billion in satellite communications to strengthen and scale UK satellite manufacturing and capabilities. Programmes including ESA ARTES, ...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHeart Diseases: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a national targeted cardiac screening programme for young people and those with a family history of heart disease.
Answer: Further to the answer of 17 July to Question 17975, the UK National Screening Committee is now considering responses to the consultation exercise, and will set out its conclusions in the usual way in due course.On the issue of defibrillator access, I refe...
Answered 18 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: FinanceTreasuryTabled 10 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28962More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to (a) reinstate the Community Automated External Defibrillator Fund and (b) introduce VAT relief for community groups purchasing defibrillators.
Answer: The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is responsible for funding decisions relating to local and community healthcare. Over 110,000 defibrillators are registered in the United Kingdom on The Circuit, the independent AED database. A key consider...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators: DatabasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of legislating for mandatory registration of newly installed public-access defibrillators on The Circuit database.
Answer: Further to the answer of 17 July to Question 17975, the UK National Screening Committee is now considering responses to the consultation exercise, and will set out its conclusions in the usual way in due course.On the issue of defibrillator access, I refe...
Answered 18 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: ApprenticesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28960More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Skills England undertakes structured engagement with employers in the aviation sector before the proposed retirement of apprenticeship standards.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of aviation apprenticeships in helping employers develop a skilled workforce. Skills England is consulting with stakeholders on the proposal to retire certain occupational standards, often due to low levels of new ...
Answered 21 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: ApprenticesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28959More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals to retire aviation apprenticeship standards for certain posts on (a) youth employment and (b) opportunities for skills expansion.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of aviation apprenticeships in helping employers develop a skilled workforce. Skills England is consulting with stakeholders on the proposal to retire certain occupational standards, often due to low levels of new ...
Answered 21 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSunscreens: VATDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the potential health merits of removing VAT from sunscreen products.
Answer: Responsibility for VAT policy rests with HM Treasury. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with other Government departments on matters affecting public health, however, there have not been any recent discussions regarding this matter.
Answered 16 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: InfrastructureDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 8 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28196More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, when he will publish his response to the Competition and Markets Authority's market study into the supply of railway and public road infrastructure by the civil engineering sector.
Answer: The Government is working to finalise its response and will publish it as soon as possible.
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordGaming Machines: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27812More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Machine Gaming Duty on employment levels in (a) casinos and (b) bingo halls.
Answer: An assessment of the impacts of any decisions taken is published within the relevant Tax Impact and Info Note. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 7 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he can clarify what specific (a) fiscal metrics and (b) economic thresholds will be used to determine when a return to the 0.7% ODA target is possible.
Answer: The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. I refer the Honourable Member to Written Ministerial Statement HLWS291 of 16 July 2026...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: BoatsHome OfficeTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27103More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, within the context of irregular immigration, how she defines what a small boat is.
Answer: The definition of a small boat can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days#about-the-data(opens in a ne...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordNutritionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the practical challenges associated with calculating and independently validating free sugars content for the purposes of an updated Nutrient Profiling Model.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 31 March in response to Question 120152, on 1 July in response to Question 8994, and on 7 September in response to Question 19910.I also refer him to the final impact assessment on the proposals to restri...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordNutrition: Trading StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authority Trading Standards services to enforce high fat, salt and sugar regulations.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 31 March in response to Question 120152, on 1 July in response to Question 8994, and on 7 September in response to Question 19910.I also refer him to the final impact assessment on the proposals to restri...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordNutritionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 27100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of updating the Nutrient Profiling Model on incentives for food and drink manufacturers to continue reformulating products to reduce levels of s
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers provided on 31 March in response to Question 120152, on 1 July in response to Question 8994, and on 7 September in response to Question 19910.I also refer him to the final impact assessment on the proposals to restri...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSky Lanterns: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has undertaken a recent review of the risks to (a) livestock, (b) property and (c) the environment arising from the release of Chinese lanterns; and if he will make an asses
Answer: Local councils already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns (including Chinese lanterns) on council or public land or issue a fixed penalty notice for littering. Voluntary initiatives aimed at minimising the risks...
Answered 10 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology: FinanceDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of withdrawing UK Research and Innovation operational funding for international research facilities on UK operationa
Answer: UK Research and Innovation and the Science and Technology Facilities Council undertook a structured assessment of the impacts of different funding options across STFC's portfolio. This considered factors including scientific excellence, long-term research...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Research and Innovation: FinanceDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department took to ensure that recent UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) operational funding decisions for key facilities aligned with the UK's broader strategic inve
Answer: UKRI, through STFC, has undertaken a prioritisation process to ensure its overall financial stability and the ongoing affordability of its National Laboratories, large scale, multi-disciplinary facilities, and the PPAN portfolio. The cross-UKRI Facilities...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Footpaths: VATTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26293More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic and environmental merits of applying zero-rating for VAT to repair and maintenance work on upland paths.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, this includes most repair and maintenance works. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability cons...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people (a) sat their practical driving test and (b) used dual control cars in each of the last 5 years for which data is available.
Answer: The table below shows the number of candidates who took a car practical driving test in each of the last 5 financial years, and how many of them took at least one test in a car with dual controls. YearNumber of candidates who took a testNumber of candida...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: QualificationsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26291More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of Potential Driving Instructors (a) applied for a second licence period and (b) had their application granted in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answer: It is not possible to determine the proportion of applicants who applied for, and were granted, specifically a second licence period. While the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) records the number of trainee licences issued, this data does not di...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: QualificationsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of Potential Driving Instructors (1) passed, (2) failed and (3) did not sit the ADI part 3 test within the 6 month licence period in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answer: It is not possible to determine the proportion of applicants who applied for, and were granted, specifically a second licence period. While the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) records the number of trainee licences issued, this data does not di...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of maintaining helicopters with wildfire suppression capabilities at readiness for deployment in support of domestic wildfire incidents; and if he will consider
Answer: Responsibility for responding to wildfires in the UK rests with the relevant civil authorities and emergency services, with military support potentially available where requested through established Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) arrangement...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →