Scott Arthur MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 14 Mar 2025 · Rare Cancers Bill · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. Last week, I attended a reception for the Eve Appeal. I was really struck by the fact that early diagnosis was a big feature of what the charity was talking about, and I will come on to that in just a second. As a consequence of the lack of recognition of the symptoms of rare cancers, too many people are diagnosed too late. Last week, at an event hosted by the Brain Tumour Charity, I met Gabrielle and her wife and children. Gabrielle told me how the neurologist to whom she was initially referred did not recognise her brain tumour symptoms, and told her instead to go home, breathe into a paper bag and get some counselling. If only curing brain tumours was so easy. Reflecting on the comment made by my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mrs Lewell-Buck), an observation that I have made on this journey is that so many of the people who have talked about late diagnosis have been women. That is purely anecdotal, but it seems to be the case. When I was at the Eve Appeal reception, the point was made that so many women are turned away; the GP tells them that they are hormonal, premenstrual or premenopausal.

• 10 Mar 2025 · Legal and Illegal Migration: Suspension · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for the sensitive way he is navigating through this. However, is it not the case that people defined as economically inactive include those who are retired? Is he suggesting that we go around the golf courses and bingo halls in our constituencies and get those people into the workforce, building houses for us? Is that the solution to the economic problems in this country?

• 10 Mar 2025 · Legal and Illegal Migration: Suspension · Hansard source

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  I am not sure if that was an insult or not. First, I should declare an interest by saying that back in 2015, an overseas healthcare worker saved my life. It was my cardiologist, and I put on record my thanks to him. The right hon. Gentleman will know that the population in the UK is falling, and we are getting older as well—I am evidence of that. Without immigration and workers coming into the country, particularly for our healthcare system, we may be stuck. Does he not agree with that?

• 10 Mar 2025 · Legal and Illegal Migration: Suspension · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

• 7 Mar 2025 · Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for introducing this Bill—he is reaching for the stars with it, quite literally. I am proud to have a company in my constituency called Alpha Data, which is just 50 metres from my constituency office, but the products it designs are 250 miles above us. It has a sensor outside the International Space Station that measures atmospheric heating and cooling. Alpha Data employs 30 people in its office, but its supply chain stretches from inside the city to Kilsyth, the Scottish Borders and nearby Livingston. Does my hon. Friend agree that this company is evidence that the space sector is thriving in Scotland, and that this Bill should help it to go “To infinity and beyond”?

• 7 Mar 2025 · Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for the national debate he has stimulated about this; we should all be grateful to him for that. I wondered what advice was already available to parents from the national health service, particularly in Scotland. I could find no guidance on screen time on the NHS Scotland website. On the website for my health board, NHS Lothian, I found guidance for parents with the very youngest children. In Glasgow—which is Scotland’s second city, I have to stress; it does not even have a castle—the health board offers guidance that dates from 2016. Things have moved on since then, and surely parents deserve to have the very latest guidance when it comes to considering this matter.

• 7 Mar 2025 · Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill · Hansard source

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  By explaining that there are so many fragmented and—no doubt—contradictory sources of information, surely the right hon. Gentleman is making the argument for there to be a single source of advice to parents right across the United Kingdom? Surely this Bill will create an authoritative set of guidance for parents that they can share with their children.

• 5 Mar 2025 · Make Work Pay Plan · Hansard source

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  Residents throughout my constituency welcome the improvements in workers’ rights, but parents are greatly concerned about the impact of the growing gap in attainment in Scottish schools between the richest and the poorest, and what it means for their children’s ability to find their first jobs. This week I have been inundated with comments from parents who are worried about the recent Audit Scotland report on support for children with additional needs; it is a disgraceful report. Can the Minister assure me that she will use whatever influence she has to ensure that the Scottish Government make education a priority?

• 5 Mar 2025 · Make Work Pay Plan · Hansard source

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  2. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the policies in the make work pay plan in Scotland.

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  My goodness me. If this policy generates the £1.8 billion we heard about earlier— [ Interruption. ] It could generate more. If it generates £1.8 billion, it will benefit schools in Edinburgh—of course it will. The hon. Lady made reference to school roll analysis, and stressed that it was conducted before the policy was introduced. Since then, there has been an update, and it shows more than adequate capacity in Edinburgh, particularly as we have only 55 students moving from the private sector to the state sector. She is well aware of that analysis.

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  The massive rise in tuition fees came later. Hon. Members know exactly what I am talking about. [ Interruption. ] Can I speak, please? Nobody here is questioning the motives of parents—every single parent who sends their children to an independent school wants the best for their children—but what we are questioning is, if we were to scrap this policy, what would we cut instead? I am just not hearing an answer. This policy will generate additional income for the constituency of the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine). Where does she want that to be cut from instead? What does she say to the majority of people in Edinburgh who voted for parties that supported this policy?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  It is important to remember that, although there is uncertainty with the number, and the revenue could be slightly lower or slightly higher—we do not know—the policy will none the less generate revenue. I spoke to the principal of an independent school in my constituency last week, and she outlined some of the challenges that she faces because of the policy, but the challenge that we face is that if we cancel the policy today—I know we cannot—the revenue that it generates will have to be found somewhere else. I ask the hon. Gentleman: where should we find that revenue? Perhaps we can find that money from public services in his constituency.

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member is talking with great understanding about the schools in his constituency, including state and independent, which is fantastic to hear. But we have heard in this debate about full state schools in England, about overloaded schools and underfunded schools. He will acknowledge that funding had to be found somewhere to try to fix the problems. We have one solution. Is there an alternative?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman is talking with great passion about a subject that is of interest to him and to us all. He talked of many thousands of children facing displacement, but, in Edinburgh, I think the number of children being moved from the private sector to the state sector is somewhere between 50 and 60. Edinburgh has one of the largest private sectors in the UK, so where are the other thousands coming from?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  I have independent schools in my constituency, and the challenges we face with this policy are real, but the numbers people are citing make it difficult to talk about those challenges. People have said that tens of thousands of students are going to move from the independent sector to the state sector, but I do not think anybody really thinks that is going to happen. Those sorts of numbers make it really difficult to have a serious debate about this issue. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that “tens of thousands of students” is perhaps at the upper end of estimates?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  I find it really interesting that Conservative and Liberal Democrat Members are talking about how wrong it is to place VAT on school fees, even though they thought nothing about introducing university fees, which place a huge cost on education, particularly for people from poorer backgrounds.

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for inviting my intervention. What I will say is that more than half of voters in Edinburgh voted for the policy. Does he think that they were wrong?

• 26 Feb 2025 · Family Businesses · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman makes the point that public spending is increasing faster than he expected. Perhaps he could outline where he thinks it should now be cut to make that good, starting with public services in his own constituency.

• 26 Feb 2025 · Family Businesses · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member speaks with great passion about his constituency, and I understand some of the concerns he has raised. He asks what the Government are doing. Apart from all the money we are putting into the NHS and all the money going into education, what are we doing? He earlier gave the example of a single person running a business about to employ their first person, which is a big step for any business—I accept that. But is it not the case that those small businesses will be paying less national insurance as a result of this Budget?

• 13 Feb 2025 · HIV Testing Week · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship on the last day before recess, Dr Allin-Khan. I thank the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) for securing this debate. The fact that he opened the debate is a reminder that HIV is not just an issue in our big urban centres. In October, I visited Waverley Care’s headquarters in Firrhill in my constituency of Edinburgh South West, and I was deeply impressed by their work. Established in the 1980s, Waverley Care bravely opened the UK’s first purpose-built AIDS hospice, Milestone House, in response to the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic in Edinburgh. Milestone House faced initial opposition, reflecting the fear and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS at the time, which we have heard about. I have heard first-hand accounts of that, including from a former Firrhill high school pupil, who recalled visits to the centre and the subsequent backlash in the media. Work placements had to be ended because of the misleading reporting. It pains me that, back then, some of the LGBT community found that hate was a barrier to seeking help and testing. It really pains me that today some of the trans community face the same bigotry, and for them it is a barrier to seeking testing and PrEP. We must acknowledge the courage of individuals at the time, and I include in that Councillor John Allan, who represented Oxgangs ward. He wanted the hospice to come to his ward when other councillors were doing all they could to stop it coming to theirs, so I thank him for his leadership. The turning point in local opposition to the centre came with Princess Diana’s visit. She visited many hospices. Her simple act of sharing a cup of tea with a visibly ill young woman sent a clear signal: the patients faced death, but they were still people and worthy of our respect. I do not compare the Prime Minister to Princess Diana, of course, but what he did this week was exactly the same. We who have tested this week and are telling our constituents about it are doing exactly the same—although I have to say that it was harder to get blood out of my finger than I expected. Since then, remarkable medical advances have transformed HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable condition. Milestone House is no longer a hospice; it is a hospital. However, as the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale highlighted, the fight is not over. Shamefully, HIV testing in Scotland has decreased by 19% since 2019, and diagnoses are on the rise. Scotland lags behind England, lacking a dedicated HIV testing week and opt-out testing in our high-risk urban centres. The prevalence of HIV in Glasgow and Edinburgh is more than double the trigger level for opt-out testing in England, but that facility is not provided. Waverley Care rightly highlights that while LGBT communities have strong awareness, heterosexual transmission is now the most common route, often because of lower testing rates. That is why a dedicated testing week and opt-out testing are so important in Scotland. Waverley Care, in partnership with THT, is leading the charge for opt-out testing and an HIV testing week in Scotland, and it has written to the Scottish Government. Those measures have been proven to be effective in England. Having read the testament from Waverley Care and the Terrence Higgins Trust, I cannot see how Scotland can meet its target of no HIV transmissions by 2030—it just cannot be done. I can only conclude that that is going to make it much harder for the UK Government to hit their own target. Will the Minister therefore write to the Scottish Government to make clear the benefits of an HIV testing week and opt-out testing in our big urban centres, and asking the Scottish Government to follow the UK Government?

• 4 Feb 2025 · National Cancer Plan · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement and also for the time he has spent with me discussing my private Member’s Bill, the Rare Cancers Bill. Yesterday, I met representatives of the Brain Tumour Charity, Brain Tumour Research and Pancreatic Cancer UK, and we did in part discuss the national cancer plan. I do not speak on those charities’ behalf, but one of the conclusions I drew from the discussion was that there is a real need to have the voices of rare cancer patients and survivors at the heart of this consultation. Does the Minister agree with that point? Secondly, on World Cancer Day, will he join me in wishing my daughter Ruth good luck as she trains to run a marathon in aid of the Brain Tumour Charity?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Airport Expansion · Hansard source

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  I came to London yesterday by rail, as usual, and I must say that both Lumo and London North Eastern Railway are doing a fantastic job of getting people out of planes and on to trains between Edinburgh and London. [ Interruption. ] I always like to talk about trains. I am concerned that any increase in air capacity will take people off trains and help them make less sustainable transport choices. Will the Minister commit to speaking with the Rail Minister to understand any impacts of airport expansion on that service?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Road Safety: Young Drivers · Hansard source

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  Back in 2020, an older driver caused a fatality in Edinburgh, killing a three-year-old boy. The fatal accident inquiry found that drivers over 80 should perhaps be subject to cognitive tests if they want to continue driving. That inquiry is currently with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Will the shadow Minister support action in that area?

• 28 Jan 2025 · Road Safety: Young Drivers · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under you in the Chair today, Sir Desmond. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Julia Buckley) on securing the time for this debate today and also for reading Crystal’s testimony, which was incredibly moving. This is a timely debate, because the road safety strategy is currently under development. Like this debate, I hope that strategy takes the approach that we should never see deaths or serious accidents on our roads as an acceptable consequence of the perceived freedoms that car ownership can bring. For young drivers in particular—although this applies to all drivers when learning—there is a focus on passing the test rather than learning how to drive. That is why the graduated approach to learning to drive is so important, because it slows things down and forces those who want to drive to focus on learning. Globally, the graduated driving licences work. In New Zealand, they have reduced accidents for people between the ages of 15 and 19 by 23% and for those between 20 and 24 by 20%. That is quite incredible and is within the context, as has been repeated here today, that one in five new drivers will crash in their first year—an absolutely incredible statistic, if we are honest with ourselves. There will be arguments against this approach, but it should never be the case that the implementation of a graduated driver's license is framed within that argument about restricting young people’s liberty, because poor public transport should never be an excuse for exposing our young people to danger. I know action in this area will be difficult, but I really hope that the road safety strategy presents us with an opportunity to do something.

• 17 Jan 2025 · Fireworks Bill · Hansard source

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  It is absolutely clear that eventually there will be action in this area, and my hon. Friend will take great credit for that when it happens. In recent weeks, I have spoken to a police officer in my constituency who was injured by a firework last year, and I have been introduced to a man whose mother was killed when one was put through her letterbox. More recently, a senior police officer in my constituency asked the Government to take action to control the import and sale of fireworks. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is very clear that action is needed, and that the Government should ask themselves whether they want to be proactive or end up reacting to events?