Parliamentary Contributions

Oral Contributions:

• 12.01 – Call for General Election – I intervened on a number of occasions to a) defend the government’s record, b) attack Reform’s governance of local councils, and c) propose a shift to proportional representation.
• 13.01 – Universities: Statutory Duty of Care – I intervened to note that a statutory duty should come with statutory funding
• 13.01 – Iran – I urged the minister to consider measures to target Iran’s oil exports, in response to the regimes violent crackdown on protestors
• 13.01 – Finance (No. 2) Bill – I intervened on a number of occasions to challenge the Lib Dems to provide costings for their alternative plans, particularly their plan to cut VAT for the hospitality sector
• 14.01 – Tertiary Education – I asked the PUS for Scotland to visit Heriot-Watt University to meet the vice-chancellor, Richard Williams, the staff and the students to hear about the impact of the ongoing funding crisis
• 14.01 – Ukraine – I intervened to highlight the close relationship between the authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran
• 15.01 – Digital ID – I urged the minister to outline both the costs and intended benefits of the digital ID scheme

Written Questions Answered:

• Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters: Sales – how many visits the DVSA has made to retailers selling e-scooters; and how many incidences the DVSA have recorded of e-scooters being sold illegally
• Refugees: Homelessness –  how many people granted refugee status have presented to local authorities as homeless or have slept rough within three months of the termination of asylum support
• Prisoners’ Release: Homelessness – steps to improve pre-release planning to ensure that prison leavers do not become homeless or sleep rough following release
• Cardiovascular Diseases: Health Services – assessment of the potential merits of introducing an equivalent of the EU Safe Hearts Plan in the UK

EDMs:

• 50 years of Currie and Balerno News

Media Mentions:

• 14.01 – Edinburgh MP Scott Arthur’s Bill to promote research into rare cancers reaches crucial stage in House of Lords – The Evening News covered my Rare Cancers Bill, aimed at boosting research and investment into rare cancer treatments, which has successfully progressed to a key stage in the House of Lords, marking a major milestone in my campaign for better outcomes for patients with rare cancers.
• 14.01 – Edinburgh council investigating after shocking videos of children being beaten at school shared online – The Evening News quote me in a story highlighting shocking videos showing pupil attacks at a local school. I called for community and council action to protect children.
• 14.01 – Less than 20% of goods vehicles adhered to speed limit on Edinburgh roads, new data reveals – Deeadline News picked up on data I recently posted on my FB page, which shows poor compliance with speed limits in Edinburgh, underlining the urgent need for stronger enforcement as part of ongoing safety campaigns.
• 13.01 – Edinburgh MP demands action on dangerous delivery riders – The Midlothian View covered my recent statement pressing delivery firms and the UK Government to take tougher action against dangerously operated or illegal e-bikes
• 11.01 – Government road safety strategy should include cognitive tests for older drivers – The Edinburgh Reporter covered my argument, in a Transport Committee session, that the UK Government’s new road safety strategy should include cognitive as well as eyesight tests for older drivers to improve road safety for all

Rare Cancers Bill:

I’m pleased that my Rare Cancers Bill has now passed its Second Reading in the House of Lords. This an important step forward in strengthening research, coordination and innovation for rare cancer treatments. I’m grateful to peers from across the House for their support and look forward to the Bill continuing its progress in the weeks ahead.