Scott Arthur

I understand that the first group of claims included victims from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Claimants who live in Scotland can receive legal support from firms with particular expertise in Scots law, if they wish, and I have been assured that as the scheme expands, the Authority will increase legal capability across all the UK.

I am informed that in January, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority handled 709 calls and responded to 832 emails. The Authority is taking the approach of having single points of contact for claimants, and I was pleased to learn how this has fostered positive relationships with many of those in the infected blood community.

The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors. All sectors can shape and will benefit from policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, with growth that supports high-quality jobs and ensures that the benefits are shared across people, places, and generations.

Advanced production machinery and robotics are central to increasing productivity across the manufacturing sector. The Made Smarter Adoption Programme is helping SME manufacturers adopt industrial digital technologies such as robotics and autonomous systems to increase their productivity and efficiency.

The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors. All sectors can shape and will benefit from policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, with growth that supports high-quality jobs and ensures that the benefits are shared across people, places, and generations.

The UK’s agriculture food and drink sector plays a significant part in the UK economy, with £146.7bn contribution to GVA and 4.2m jobs (13% UK total employment). Government is engaging with the food, drink and farming industries regularly on how the sector can grow and invest.

The UK Government is committed to advancing free and fair trade around that world that is inclusive, sustainable and reduces poverty.

We remain committed to engaging civil society as we develop the new Trade Strategy.

Heat network suppliers commercially contract for the fuel that powers heat networks and so they are not subject to the domestic energy price cap.

The Government is however, introducing heat network regulation in January 2026 which aims to provide consumers with comparable protections to existing gas and electricity regulations.

The heat network regulator, Ofgem, will have powers to investigate and intervene where heat network prices charged to consumers appear to be disproportionate or unfair.

Regulatory oversight will be supplemented by statutory redress through the Energy Ombudsman who will have the same powers to hear complaints and make legally binding decisions as they do in gas and electricity markets.

My department supports the safe deployment of drones for commercial and public benefit, through R&D support and innovative regulation. Wider drone policy is led by the Department for Transport.

Since 2019, the Future Flight Challenge, administered by Innovate UK, has provided £125m of public funding for collaborative R&D and innovation in this area.

We established the Regulatory Innovation Office to support our ambition to be the best place in the world to innovate. ‘Drones and other autonomous technology’ is an initial focus area of the Regulatory Innovation Office.

The Department is still considering the findings of the independent research, which looked at the size and nature of the prize draw market, as well as possible gambling harm associated with these products. This research is informing our policy considerations, as whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. We will update Parliament further in due course.

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we will introduce a statutory levy charged to all licensed gambling operators. Society lotteries will be charged the levy at the lowest rate of 0.1%, in recognition of the low rates of harm associated with participation in society lotteries and the important benefits they bring to good cause fundraising. The Gambling Act 2005 is clear that all licensees are in scope of the levy, but to minimise disruption this 0.1% will be charged as a proportion of proceeds retained after good causes.

Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. The department is grateful for the voluntary action taken so far by the sector to act transparently and apply player protection measures. We want to ensure high standards in this area and the Minister for Gambling will be meeting the sector to discuss this work.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Access to higher education (HE) should be based on ability, not someone’s background. Opportunity should be available to all, and it is the department’s aspiration that no one is left behind.

The department wants to close the gap in entries for disadvantaged students, by ensuring there are quality options which are flexible to their needs, with sound advice and fair and transparent admission processes.

The department is continuing with and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement to provide high quality, flexible and modular education, with the new student finance system underpinning and facilitating fuller access and flexible study. From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding for the first time for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards.

The government continues to provide means-tested non-repayable grants to low income full-time undergraduate students with children and/or adults who are financially dependent on them. The department has announced an increase to maximum dependants’ grants for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, based on forecast inflation using the RPIX (Retail Price Index Excluding Mortgage Interest) inflation index. We have also increased maximum non-means-tested disabled students’ allowance for full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students with disabilities by 3.1% for 2025/26.

Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses also qualify for non-repayable grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Additionally, the department is increasing maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1% to ensure that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families. Higher rates of loan for living costs are also paid to students eligible for benefits, such as lone parents and some disabled students, as well as care leavers, who are normally assessed as low income independent students. In addition, care leavers are also entitled to a £2000 statutory bursary, paid via their local authority.

The government also provides financial support through the Office for Students (OfS) to support student access and success, including for disadvantaged students. £301 million was provided for the 2024/25 academic year.

The department recognises that there is still much more to do to expand access and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. Too many people across our country do not get the opportunity to succeed. We will act to change this. We are calling for providers to go further and play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students, making sure that they are delivering robust and ambitious access and participation plans. By summer, we will set out our plan for HE reform and the part we expect HE providers to play in this.

The latest Home Office data shows that there were 350,700 visa applications made by international students for a sponsored study visa between January and September 2024. This is 16% lower than between January and September 2023 when 417,000 sponsored study visas applications were made by international students.

There are many factors that influence international students when they choose to study abroad. These may include the range and quality of available courses, the visa rules that apply in countries they are considering and the appeal of living and studying in those countries.

The government recognises that international students enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK, as well as making a significant economic contribution to the higher education (HE) sector and our country as a whole. It is for these reasons that the government offers international students the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for two to three years after their studies come to an end.

The department will continue to monitor available data and engage closely with the HE sector to assess the level of international student admissions to UK universities in the 2024/25 academic year.

The latest Home Office data shows that there were 350,700 visa applications made by international students for a sponsored study visa between January and September 2024. This is 16% lower than between January and September 2023 when 417,000 sponsored study visas applications were made by international students.

There are many factors that influence international students when they choose to study abroad. These may include the range and quality of available courses, the visa rules that apply in countries they are considering and the appeal of living and studying in those countries.

The government recognises that international students enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK, as well as making a significant economic contribution to the higher education (HE) sector and our country as a whole. It is for these reasons that the government offers international students the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for two to three years after their studies come to an end.

The department will continue to monitor available data and engage closely with the HE sector to assess the level of international student admissions to UK universities in the 2024/25 academic year.

Investment in active travel schemes makes it easier for people to walk, wheel or cycle, and thereby plays a significant role in improving people’s physical and mental health. Ministers from this Department have met regularly with their counterparts in the Department of Health and Social Care to discuss this as well as the other ways that the Department can contribute to the Government’s health mission. On 12 February, Active Travel England announced almost £300 million of funding for new walking, wheeling and cycling schemes. The health benefits of these will lead to 43,000 fewer sick days per year, easing pressure on the NHS.

The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February.

The Department’s Ministers will be having regular discussions with their Treasury counterparts as part of the ongoing Spending Review which will conclude later this Spring.

Everyone should feel safe cycling and harassment and intimidation of women cycling is totally unacceptable. Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is very much an important part of our mission on VAWG.

Once in force, the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 will help tackle this issue and ensure women both feel and are safer on our streets. The Act builds on existing harassment legislation within the Public Order Act 1986. It introduces an aggravated offence punishable by up to two years imprisonment upon conviction where someone commits the existing Public Order Act 1986 4A offence of causing harassment, alarm or distress based on someone’s sex or presumed sex.

Active Travel England is working with local authorities to provide safe cycling infrastructure which should help women feel safer when cycling. Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women.

it is for local authorities to make their own decisions about where to prioritise investment in local transport networks. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) aim to help authorities take a strategic approach to improving conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling. Revenue funding awarded by Active Travel England can be used by local authorities to support LCWIP development.

In addition, Active Travel England supports a range of programmes to help enable more active travel for schoolchildren, including Living Street’s Walk to School Outreach, Modeshift STARS and Bikeability cycle training. The Department has also recently published guidance for local authorities on implementing School Streets, which can encourage more active travel to schools.

The Government is supporting and accelerating the introduction and use of new aviation technologies, including electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) and other zero-emission regional air mobility aircraft.

My Department is working closely with industry, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and community representatives on the uses of these aircraft to ensure that they are sustainable, safe and offer benefits and opportunities across the UK.

I have committed my Department to working toward seeing initial demonstrations of piloted eVTOLs, followed by routine operations and then demonstrations of autonomous eVTOL flights - once the technology has been proven. I will be chairing the Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing government and the CAA together with industry leaders to discuss future of flight technologies, including eVTOLs.

The Jet Zero Taskforce Expert Group, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia with an interest in aviation decarbonisation, have agreed to establish a dedicated group to unlock barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.

The vast majority of Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Linking Winter Fuel eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits for pensioners ensures the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need.

In winter 2023-24, there were around 11,500 pensioner households in the Edinburgh South West constituency receiving the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024.

We do not yet hold data on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients through winter 2024-25. These figures will be released as part of the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2024 to 2025.

Powers to pay winter heating assistance in Scotland have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government have replaced Winter Fuel Payment with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from 2024/25. It is up to the Scottish Government how it operates these payments.

Information on new recipients of Winter Fuel Payments in 2023-24 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

No such estimate has been made for Edinburgh South West. In April 2025, the basic and new State Pension will increase by 4.1% as confirmed in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025. In 25/26, it is estimated the total State Pension expenditure, covering Great Britain and including State Pension paid outside UK, will increase by around £9bn. This estimation is available in the latest Benefit Expenditure and Caseload tables published at Autumn Statement 2024. Geographical breakdowns are not available.

Source: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK

All State Pension recipients in Edinburgh South West will receive an increase in their State Pension from April 2025. At the quarter ending May 2024, the latest published State Pension caseload data, there were (a) 7,040 Male and (b) 8,501 Female State Pension recipients in Edinburgh South West. Source: DWP Stat-Xplore.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. These requirements were to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest, including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society in partnership with London Hearts charity.

The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.

NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.

We are aware of the report by Beat Eating Disorders entitled There's no place like home - the case for intensive community and day treatments for eating disorders. We are not planning to formally respond to this report, however we are carefully considering its findings.

We recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder can have on someone’s life, and the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. NHS England is continuing to expand community-based eating disorder services capacity, including crisis care and intensive home treatment. By improving care in the community, the NHS can improve outcomes and recovery, reduce rates of relapse, or prevent eating disorders continuing into adulthood and, if admission is required as a very last resort, reduce lengths of stay.

The previous Government announced the abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief following an external evaluation which found no strong evidence the relief was meeting its original objectives of supporting investment in the private rented sector. In addition, and as highlighted in the November 2021 consultation on reforms to MDR, the relief was subject to high levels of abuse.

Larger investors who purchase six or more properties in a single

transaction can still continue to benefit from the non-residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax. The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders in the build to rent sector to understand any concerns.

On housing more broadly, the Government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes and is reforming the National Planning Policy Framework to get Britain building, including by reintroducing mandatory housing targets.

The previous Government announced the abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief following an external evaluation which found no strong evidence the relief was meeting its original objectives of supporting investment in the private rented sector. In addition, and as highlighted in the November 2021 consultation on reforms to MDR, the relief was subject to high levels of abuse.

Larger investors who purchase six or more properties in a single

transaction can still continue to benefit from the non-residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax. The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders in the build to rent sector to understand any concerns.

On housing more broadly, the Government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes and is reforming the National Planning Policy Framework to get Britain building, including by reintroducing mandatory housing targets.

The previous Government announced the abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief following an external evaluation which found no strong evidence the relief was meeting its original objectives of supporting investment in the private rented sector. In addition, and as highlighted in the November 2021 consultation on reforms to MDR, the relief was subject to high levels of abuse.

Larger investors who purchase six or more properties in a single

transaction can still continue to benefit from the non-residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax. The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders in the build to rent sector to understand any concerns.

On housing more broadly, the Government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes and is reforming the National Planning Policy Framework to get Britain building, including by reintroducing mandatory housing targets.

Listed companies such as listed investment trusts are subject to substantial corporate governance and shareholder protection requirements.

This includes fair treatment and orderly takeover requirements under the Takeover Code, which the independent Takeover Panel oversees. The Takeover Code applies where a person or company acquires 30% or more of voting rights in a company and ensures that all shareholders are afforded equivalent treatment.

More broadly, under the Companies Act 2006, shareholders must approve any resolutions circulated by a company, or by any individual shareholder or group of shareholders of that company, including proposed changes to company boards.

The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023 and the next report will be published in due course.

Barnett-based funding is not ringfenced for any one policy area and it is for the Scottish Government to allocate this funding in devolved areas as they see fit. They can therefore take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their own priorities and local circumstances, and they are accountable to the Scottish Parliament for these decisions.

The Scottish Government’s budget is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and its settlement for 2025-26 is the largest settlement in real terms of any Scottish Government settlement since devolution.  The Scottish Government is receiving at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £8.5 billion more in 2025-26.

Nothing is off the table when it comes to tackling the scourge of serious violence and saving young lives, and we always keep the law and practice in this area under close review.

We are taking action to tackle the illegal sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a comprehensive review into the online sale and delivery of knives.

We have already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery, and the Government will set out next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives in due course.

Migrants with permission under certain family or private life routes can apply for ‘change of conditions’ support where they are destitute, at risk of imminent destitution or if there are reasons relating to the welfare of a relevant child.

For all other immigration routes, if there are particularly compelling circumstances why leaving the UK is not possible, discretion can be used to consider if the circumstances justify provision of public support.

Regardless of immigration status, local authorities are able to provide basic safety net support if it is established there is a risk to the wellbeing of a child or there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution.

As of 5 January 2025, there are 418 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties owned by the Ministry of Defence in the Edinburgh South West Constituency.

254 SFA properties are occupied by Serving Personnel (SP) and their families. 72 SFA properties are rented by private tenants and 92 are currently vacant.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has identified the Dreghorn (Edinburgh) estate as surplus to requirements. As a result, all private sector tenants will be given at least two months’ notice to vacate, in accordance with their tenancy agreements.

There is currently no timeframe for the notices to be issued. MOD officials will engage with those affected and advise them when a schedule has been agreed.

The intent to dispose of Redford Barracks has already been confirmed as part of the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio with units moving to other military establishments in Edinburgh as part of a £5.1 billion investment in Defence infrastructure.

The government is committed to supporting the Build to Rent sector. We are unlocking nearly £2 billion in additional lending through the Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme and have announced a £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund to help deliver more homes alongside institutional investors, including those provided by Build to Rent operators.

The government is committed to supporting the Build to Rent sector. We are unlocking nearly £2 billion in additional lending through the Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme and have announced a £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund to help deliver more homes alongside institutional investors, including those provided by Build to Rent operators.

Promoting economic growth is one of the Scotland Office’s priorities and I am proud of the contribution of the financial services industry to the Scottish economy, with recent figures showing it is now worth £14.8 billion in GVA while directly supporting 148,000 jobs. Edinburgh makes up a sizeable proportion of Scotland’s overall financial and related professional services industry, employing 57,290 people.

To build on this sectoral success the UK government is developing a long-overdue industrial strategy, with financial services one of the priority sectors. This will ensure that the sector in his constituency is key to attracting investment and help support businesses in Scotland and across the UK.

The Secretary of State meets monthly with the Deputy First Minister to discuss a wide range of shared economic growth priorities.