Liam McArthur
Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for Orkney Islands (Constituency) 2011 - present day
Former MSP for Orkney (Constituency) 2007 - 2011
About Liam McArthur
Contact details
Contact at the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5815
Text relay calls welcome.
Contact at local office
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.
Committees
Liam is a member of 1 committee
Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Substitute Member
Cross-party groups
Liam is a member of 10 cross-party groups
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on End of Life Choices
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Islands
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Japan
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Malawi
Co-Convener
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on MS
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Rugby Development in Scotland
Member
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Scotch Whisky
Member
Parliamentary and Government Roles
Liam has 3 parliamentary and government roles
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch Executive
Member
Conveners Group
Convener
Deputy Presiding Officer
Pàrlamaid na h-Alba
Party Roles
Liam has 2 party roles
Party Spokesperson on Justice
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Party Spokesperson on the Climate Emergency
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Previous roles
Liam has had 15 previous roles
Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.
06 May 2021 - 27 August 2021
Party Spokesperson on Energy
Scottish Liberal Democrats
22 June 2021 - 26 August 2021
Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Deputy Convener
17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021
Rural Affairs Islands and Natural Environment Committee
Member
19 May 2016 - 20 May 2021
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
Appointed Member
08 June 2016 - 04 May 2021
Justice Committee
Member
08 November 2016 - 04 May 2021
Education and Skills Committee
Substitute Member
06 October 2016 - 04 May 2021
Justice SubCommittee on Policing
Member
29 August 2017 - 04 May 2021
Presiding Officer's Advisory Group
Member
25 May 2011 - 19 May 2016
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
Appointed Member
23 June 2011 - 23 March 2016
Public Audit Committee
Substitute Member
01 June 2011 - 23 March 2016
Education and Culture Committee
Member
03 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Finance Committee
Substitute Member
03 September 2008 - 22 March 2011
Rural Affairs and Environment Committee
Member
13 June 2007 - 02 September 2008
Finance Committee
Member
21 June 2007 - 02 September 2008
Economy Energy and Tourism Committee
Substitute Member
Register of interests
Liam's register of interests
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.
Recent Activity
What was said
What Liam McArthur has said in Parliament
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: 29 September 2022
Mesh Treatment Clarity
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "The Parliament is still in session. I ask members of the public who are leaving the public gallery and members who are leaving the chamber to please do so as quickly and as quietly as possible, because we are about to start the next item of business…
Chamber meeting date: 29 September 2022
Standing Charges (Highlands and Islands)
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD): "As Emma Roddick has suggested and as the cabinet secretary acknowledged, standing charges have been a particular issue of late. The lifting of the cap in April resulted in a 1p per day increase for gas but a doubling to 45p per day for electricity…
Chamber meeting date: 29 September 2022
Excellence in Scottish Education
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-06102, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on excellence in Scottish education. 14:59"
Chamber meeting date: 28 September 2022
Covid-19 Recovery and Parliamentary Business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur): "We move on to portfolio questions. I remind members who wish to ask a supplementary question to press their request-to-speak buttons during the relevant question…
Chamber meeting date: 28 September 2022
Covid Recovery Strategy (Dundee)
The Deputy Presiding Officer: "We will have a brief supplementary from Mercedes Villalba."
Votes
How Liam McArthur has voted in Parliament
Find out how Liam McArthur has voted recently.
Excellence in Scottish Education
Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Supported by: Clare Haughey, Jamie Hepburn
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 29, 2022
Result 65 for, 50 against, 0 abstained, 14 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Addressing NHS Waiting Times
Submitted by: Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, September 26, 2022
Supported by: Sharon Dowey, Meghan Gallacher, Liam Kerr, Douglas Lumsden
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 29, 2022
Result 65 for, 52 against, 0 abstained, 12 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Excellence in Scottish Education
Submitted by: Stephen Kerr, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 29, 2022
Result 29 for, 64 against, 23 abstained, 13 no vote
MSP abstained
Vote Defeated
Excellence in Scottish Education
Submitted by: Michael Marra, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Supported by: Paul Sweeney, Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 29, 2022
Result 51 for, 65 against, 0 abstained, 13 no vote
MSP voted for
Vote Defeated
Scottish Government Handling of Ferry Contracts
Submitted by: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, September 26, 2022
Supported by: Sharon Dowey, Liam Kerr
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 29, 2022
Result 64 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 12 no vote
MSP voted against
Vote Passed
Motions
Motions made by Liam McArthur in Parliament
Find out what motions Liam McArthur has submitted recently.
Written questions
Written questions Liam McArthur has submitted in Parliament
These are the questions that this MSP has asked the Scottish Government about its work. It also includes any answer to these questions.
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 8 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been (a) budgeted for and (b) distributed from the Fuel Insecurity Fund in each year of its operation."
Answered by: Michael Matheson on 23 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 1 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings from the 2021 Scottish House Condition Survey."
Answered by: Shona Robison on 23 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 8 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister’s statement to the Parliament on the Programme for Government, on 6 September 2022, that a proposed Housing Bill would "implement key policies on short-term lets", whether this refers to enacted or new regulations on the matter."
Answered by: Shona Robison on 23 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 1 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has carried out for the Islands Energy Strategy."
Answered by: Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 1 September 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Islands Energy Strategy."
Answered by: Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 August 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated estimate on the annual cost of operating the Deposit Return Scheme in a "steady state" as set out in the full business case addendum, which was published on 16 March 2020."
Answered by: Lorna Slater on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 18 August 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full operational costs of Circularity Scotland in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22."
Answered by: Lorna Slater on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 26 August 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government how many offences have been recorded under section (a) 2, (b) 3 and (c) 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each local authority area in each year since 2019, and how many subsequent (i) prosecutions and (ii) convictions there were."
Answered by: Keith Brown on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 26 August 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of probationer teachers are set to be allocated to each local authority in 2022-23 as part of the Teacher Induction Scheme."
Answered by: Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 September 2022
Asked by: McArthur, Liam, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 26 August 2022
"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in each local authority area have been built through the (a) Rural Housing and (b) Islands Housing Fund since November 2021."
Answered by: Shona Robison on 20 September 2022
See all of Liam McArthur's written questions submitted in Parliament