The Westminster lensArchive · §02 Speeches · 448 contributions

Speeches by Arthur.

Every Hansard contribution by Scott Arthur this parliament, most recent first. Back to the MP page for the headline figures and analysed positions.

Showing 361380 of 448 contributions · most-recent first

← PreviousPage 19 of 23Next →
DateDebate & contributionWords
5 Mar 2025Make Work Pay Plan

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

educationlabour-marketeconomy-jobs
21
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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

educationfiscal-policy
66
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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 thi

educationfiscal-policy
100
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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 in

educationfiscal-policy
91
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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, i

educationfiscal-policy
117
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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.

educationfiscal-policy
46
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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?

educationfiscal-policy
33
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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 challeng

educationfiscal-policy
112
3 Mar 2025Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief

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

educationfiscal-policy
74
26 Feb 2025Family Businesses

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 run

economy-jobsfiscal-policyagriculture
99
26 Feb 2025Family Businesses

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.

economy-jobsfiscal-policyagriculture
39
13 Feb 2025HIV Testing Week

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

healthculture-community
647
4 Feb 2025National Cancer Plan

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

healthtechnology
130
28 Jan 2025Road Safety: Young Drivers

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 curr

transporthealth
289
28 Jan 2025Airport Expansion

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

transportenvironmenteconomy-jobs
90
28 Jan 2025Road Safety: Young Drivers

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 Ministe

transporthealth
57
17 Jan 2025New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill

The hon. Gentleman is speaking passionately about his constituency, but does not cheaper battery technology mean that people do not have to sell their electricity back to the grid any more? They can keep it within their boundaries and use it themselves.

housingenergyenvironment
42
17 Jan 2025Fireworks Bill

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 on

crimehealthenvironment
122
17 Jan 2025 Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill

It is more confusing than that. It is actually the same form with several different options, which explains the different scenarios. I recently applied for a postal vote, because there is a by-election in my constituency next week, and it is not a straightforward process. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is even mor

local-governmenttechnologyother
61
17 Jan 2025 Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill

As ever, my hon. Friend speaks passionately about his constituency, but the Bill benefits us not just in the summertime. My constituency has a by-election for Colinton, Oxgangs and Fairmilehead next week on 23 January—I will not mention our candidate’s name, Madam Deputy Speaker—but it is wintertime; the days are short

local-governmenttechnologyother
92
← PreviousPage 19 of 23 · click a debate to open the transcript with this MP’s speeches highlightedNext →
Sources
SourceHansard · official report
MethodEach row is one contribution (intervention or speech). Word count from the official text.