Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support rural jobs in diversified farming and local processing.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting rural jobs in diversified farming and local processing through a Skills Review to identify workforce needs and skills gaps. We are working with the Department for Education, Skills England, training providers and industry to strengthen pathways into farming through qualifications, apprenticeships and vocational training.
We are also investing in agri-tech and innovation, through programmes such as the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), to help businesses adopt new technologies, improve productivity and create high-skilled jobs across farming, food production and local processing, supporting a skilled and resilient rural workforce. £123 million has been allocated to the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) for grants launching in 2026/2027.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Mental Health Foundation’s report's findings in relation to single parents and finances; and in what way he plans to support single parents in Scotland into the workforce.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises the challenges highlighted by the Mental Health Foundation, including the impact of financial pressures on single parents' wellbeing and the need to support them into work and improve their financial circumstances.
Parents who are receiving benefits can access tailored and flexible employment support through jobcentres, including in Scotland. The Scottish Government also provides employment support to lone parents. The Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus work closely with the Scottish Government and their Local Authorities and agencies to align UK Government support with devolved provision in Scotland.
As part of the Government’s plans to reform Jobcentre Plus, we are making support more inclusive and better tailored to individual needs, including for single parents, to help them move into secure, meaningful work, develop skills and progress in their career. As part of the new service, we are testing delivery in the community with Jobcentre vans and in locations such as libraries, GP surgeries and Family Hubs. We have also launched digital tools, known as ‘Work Hub’, available to all, this includes access to an AI work assistant, a CV builder and new job search tool.
Parents in receipt of Universal Credit can also be reimbursed up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month up to the maximum amounts, regardless of the number of hours they work. Financial support through the Flexible Support Fund is also available to help with the cost of interviews, starting work or up-front childcare costs.
We also have a range of specialist initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions, to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. This includes support from Disability Employment Advisers in jobcentres and Access to Work grants.
The Government commissioned Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working Review. The final report, published on 5 November 2025, highlighted the scale of the problem of people falling out of work for reasons of ill-health and disability, including mental health conditions, and the role employers can play in addressing this. Keep Britain Working launched a Vanguard Phase, where we are working with forward thinking employers across different sizes and sectors to test and refine what works best to help people get the support they need to stay in work. Many of these approaches, such as flexible working, would also support single parents.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his department is taking in order to improve the adequacy of the relationship between the social security systems in England and Scotland, and in what way he plans to increase workforce participation amongst young people from lower socio economic backgrounds in Scotland.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP and Social Security Scotland have a close, ongoing working relationship built around supporting shared customers across two systems. DWP service delivery colleagues signpost claimants to Social Security Scotland for devolved benefits and both organisations collaborate through regular forums, joint working groups, and a dedicated DWP liaison unit to coordinate day-to-day activity. The agencies share information and data to support customers who receive benefits from both Governments and when someone moves from one jurisdiction to the other, the customer continues to receive the relevant benefit for up to 13 weeks from the date of move to provide time for them to make a new claim from either DWP or Social Security Scotland as appropriate.
With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, the UK Government is determined not to leave a generation behind. The UK government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee across Great Britain and the Growth and Skills Levy in England (with Barnett consequentials for the Scottish Government), supporting almost one million young people and creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 locations across Great Britain by March 2029, earlier intensive support through the Youth Guarantee Gateway in which every young person on Universal Credit looking for work will receive tailored support from their first appointment in the Jobcentre and expanding access to opportunities that help young people move into work. This investment will create around 300,000 additional opportunities to gain workplace experience and training and help unlock up to 200,000 additional employment opportunities through the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. Phase One delivery of the Jobs Guarantee began in April 2026, aiming to deliver over 1,000 job starts across six areas with some of the highest need, including Central & East Scotland. National rollout of the scheme will be delivered in 25 areas across Great Britain, with delivery starting from November 2026.
These measures demonstrate the UK Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain. This expanded Youth Guarantee, alongside Scottish Government services, will ensure that no young person falls through the cracks and that every young person in Scotland and across Great Britain can access the support they need to achieve their potential.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment se has made of international schemes which provide tax incentives for smaller or lighter electric vehicles.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits in aligning the taxation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with their real-world emissions.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
New emission standards are being introduced in the UK, which reflect the higher real-world emissions of Plug in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs).These new standards will be reflected within Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and Benefit in Kind systems.
In addition, from 1 April 2025 the VED first year rates have changed to support the take-up of electric vehicles, with higher rates for higher emitting hybrid and petrol/diesel vehicles, and the lowest rate for zero emission cars being frozen until 2029/30.
The emissions level of hybrids varies and while they are generally cleaner than petrol/diesel cars, their emission levels are higher than electric vehicles (EVs). It is therefore right to focus the most generous VED incentives towards zero emission vehicles (ZEV) as the ZEV transition continues.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of international approaches to taxing heavier vehicles, including the vehicle weight tax operating in France.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to the question in PQ UIN 36187.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-10-19/36187
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
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.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government agrees with the CMA’s recent assessment that the heating oil sector is not working as it should for consumers, which can lead to poor outcomes, especially during periods of volatility and for vulnerable consumers. This includes the process for price quotations, order cancellations, support for vulnerable consumers, and access to redress. We have therefore announced our intentions to regulate the heating oil sector for the first time. As an interim priority we agree to work with industry to strengthen consumer protections through existing Codes of Conduct, consumer protection initiatives, and awareness of and access to dispute resolution whilst longer-term regulatory solutions are worked through.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations her Department has made as part of the process considering the future of the commercial airline pilot apprenticeship.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport engages regularly with Skills England, airlines, the Aviation Industry Skills Board and trade bodies to support delivery of the First Officer apprenticeship and explore more affordable routes into pilot training. Although a training organisation has been approved to deliver the apprenticeship at no cost to trainees, delivery is currently paused because of a lack of airline take-up.
Ministers and departmental officials continue to encourage industry participation, while individual airlines remain responsible for training, recruiting and retaining pilots.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will introduce statutory nutrient budgets as part of the Clean Water Bill.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to tackling nutrient pollution and improving the health of our rivers. Our focus is on driving efficient use of nutrients and addressing the root causes of losses into the environment. This includes through reforming agricultural regulations to drive good nutrient management on farms.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of poultry expansion on UK rivers and air quality.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Poultry Sector Growth Plan is being developed by industry, supported by Government, to identify opportunities for the sector to improve its productivity and profitability sustainably. This plan will comply with key government policies such as the Animal Welfare Strategy, Farming Roadmap and Environment Improvement Plan 2025.