Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for Orkney Islands (Constituency) 2011 - present day
Former MSP for Orkney (Constituency) 2007 - 2011
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5815
Text relay calls welcome.
14 Palace Road
Kirkwall
Orkney Islands
KW15 1PA
Phone: 01856 876541
Text relay calls welcome.
Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.
Substitute Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Co-Convener
Member
Member
Member
Convener
Pàrlamaid na h-Alba
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
06 October 2021 - 01 February 2023
Substitute Member
18 November 2020 - 14 September 2021
Member
06 May 2021 - 27 August 2021
Scottish Liberal Democrats
22 June 2021 - 26 August 2021
Deputy Convener
17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021
Member
19 May 2016 - 20 May 2021
Appointed Member
29 May 2016 - 04 May 2021
Scottish Liberal Democrats
29 May 2016 - 04 May 2021
Scottish Liberal Democrats
08 June 2016 - 04 May 2021
Member
06 October 2016 - 04 May 2021
Member
08 November 2016 - 04 May 2021
Substitute Member
29 August 2017 - 04 May 2021
Member
25 May 2011 - 19 May 2016
Appointed Member
20 May 2011 - 23 March 2016
Scottish Liberal Democrats
20 May 2011 - 23 March 2016
Scottish Liberal Democrats
01 June 2011 - 23 March 2016
Member
23 June 2011 - 23 March 2016
Substitute Member
01 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Scottish Liberal Democrats
01 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Scottish Liberal Democrats
03 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Substitute Member
03 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Member
21 June 2007 - 02 September 2008
Substitute Member
13 June 2007 - 02 September 2008
Member
24 May 2007 - 01 September 2008
Scottish Liberal Democrats
24 May 2007 - 01 September 2008
Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.
These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.
Chamber meeting date: 26 June 2025
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "I ask those who are leaving the public gallery to do so as quickly and quietly as possible as we move to the next item of business, which is a members’ business debate in the name of Douglas Ross on motion S6M-17969, on action to address the impact of gulls in Scotland. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite Douglas…
Chamber meeting date: 26 June 2025
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "I ask those who are leaving the public gallery to do so as quickly and quietly as possible as we move to the next item of business, which is a members’ business debate in the name of Douglas Ross on motion S6M-17969, on action to address the impact of gulls in Scotland. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite Douglas…
Chamber meeting date: 26 June 2025
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-18076, in the name of Kaukab Stewart, on the legislative consent motion for the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation…
Chamber meeting date: 26 June 2025
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-18080, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on a legislative consent motion on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation…
Chamber meeting date: 26 June 2025
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-18075, in the name of Richard Leonard—sorry, Richard Lochhead; we need the summer recess—on a legislative consent motion on the Employment Rights Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation…
Find out how Liam McArthur has voted recently.
Submitted by: Natalie Don-Innes, Renfrewshire North and West, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Supported by: Graeme Dey, Jenny Gilruth
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 26, 2025
Result 87 for, 0 against, 28 abstained, 14 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Submitted by: Richard Lochhead, Moray, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, June 23, 2025
Supported by: Tom Arthur, Kate Forbes
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 26, 2025
Result 88 for, 1 against, 27 abstained, 13 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Submitted by: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Monday, June 23, 2025
Supported by: Shirley-Anne Somerville
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 26, 2025
Result 86 for, 0 against, 28 abstained, 15 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Submitted by: Richard Lochhead, Moray, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, June 26, 2025
Result 80 for, 0 against, 34 abstained, 15 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Result 82 for, 29 against, 0 abstained, 18 did not vote
MSP voted for
Vote Passed
Find out what motions Liam McArthur has submitted recently.
These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 8 July 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing and updating the cross-compliance requirements for semi-natural grasslands, in light of new cross-compliance requirements coming into effect for peatlands and wetlands under the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions standards."
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-38221 and S6W-38222 by Marie Todd on 17 June 2025, whether its answer means that fewer than five people under 18 have been subject to a place of safety order in each of the last five years, and, if this is not the case, in which of the last five years there were more than five…
Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38220 by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025, what analysis it has carried out of whether missing data may reflect a failure to fulfil the legal obligations set out in section 298 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and, in the event that these legal obligations…
Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38218 by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025, what analysis it has undertaken to explore to what extent the reported reduction in the number of people detained in police stations under a place of safety order may simply reflect missing data, rather than an actual reduction."
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38218 by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025, whether it has attempted to estimate the "true" proportion of people detained in police stations under a place of safety order, adjusting for any missing data and data collection practices, and, if so, what estimates it has made."
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding virtual attendance at criminal court, whether it remains its position that "all stakeholders are of the view that the provisions…work well as currently framed", in light of the comments by the (a) Faculty of Advocates that "valuable court time is regularly lost due to delays in establishing remote…
Answered by Angela Constance on 1 July 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported criminal trials backlog had been cleared as of March 2025, and, if it does not consider it has been cleared, when it anticipates it will be."
Answered by Angela Constance on 26 June 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include any provisions in the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill specifically relating to buildings in rural and island areas."
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 June 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the definition of "backlog" as referring to "the outstanding scheduled trials that are above the normal operating capacity of 20,000", as set out in the 2023 Auditor General report, Criminal courts backlog."
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 June 2025
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12 June 2025
"To ask the Scottish Government what metric it would use to determine (a) whether and (b) when any criminal trials backlog has been cleared."
Answered by Angela Constance on 24 June 2025
See all of Liam McArthur's questions submitted in Parliament