Latest news with #ScottArthur
Edinburgh Reporter
22-07-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh South West MP's bill progresses
A bill to highlight the need for research into cancers which are designated 'rare', and which was introduced by Dr Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West, has now progressed to the House of Lords. A first reading of the Rare Cancers Bill has already been heard in the Lords, it is expected to returns there in the autumn for its second reading. The purpose of the new law is to 'make provision to incentivise, research and investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer'. These are the group of cancers in respect of which little progress has been made in researching treatment or a cure. The Rare Cancers Bill is what is known as a ballot bill – a type of Private Members' Bill used in the House of Commons. Around ten months ago Dr Arthur was chosen to pick a numbered ping pong ball out of a goldfish bowl at the start of the parliamentary term to give him the chance of proposing a Ballot Bill. He was then able to choose his own subject matter. Dr Arthur said: 'It feels like things are lining up. The vast bulk of these bills do fail, so it's tremendous to get this far. And let's hope it doesn't fail, but what it's done so far is it's really got people talking about rare cancers, and it's really put some of the charities which support this sector in the spotlight, and it's been a chance for them to connect with people as well.' He continued: 'What got me started on this was that my father-in-law died of a type of brain tumour called glioblastoma, which is a rare cancer type. It wasn't until I drew the ballot and people started to contact me about what I could focus my bill on that I found that the type of brain tumour he died from – there's been no real progress in terms of treatment for decades. 'And what happened to him, he died around six months after a diagnosis. That is not unusual. I think on average, glioblastoma, nine months. Some people do live significantly longer than that, particularly if they manage to get surgery. But nine months is the average life expectancy after diagnosis. And it's the same for a lot of cancers in this field where there's just not been the progress. 'I spoke to the father of a preschool child, she had neuroblastoma, which is a type of cancer which attaches itself to your internal organs, and she died. And again, same story, he found out there's just so little money going into researching that cancer type and just not enough progress. And people in Edinburgh will remember Kira the Machine, the teenager, she had the same type of cancer and she's been able to access trials and cutting edge treatments, but still 10 years on, she still has the cancer and it's still a big part of her life.' 'The bill has the backing of around 40 charities which was useful as the bill came to the House of Commons for its Third Reading to be met with many amendments from fellow MP Sir Christopher Chope. The charities sent 120,000 emails to their supporters and some contacted their own MPs which meant the bill had a lot of support to get through the Commons. 'I think I've said this many times, I've always felt it was better to come away with something rather than nothing. Some of the private members bills, what MPs do, because they know how difficult it can be to succeed. What they do is they aim really high and they create a fantastic campaign because it's about raising awareness and they accept that ultimately there's a good chance it's not going to succeed. But our focus is on succeeding and actually delivering something.' His parliamentary colleague Tracy Gilbert also secured a Ballot Bill – hers was a different topic completely – the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill, and that has also passed to the House of Lords for a Second Reading. Third Reading Dr Arthur said in the House of Commons during the Third Reading that when he was successful in having his bill supported he got 'so many emails, many of which were about glioblastoma. The reality is that someone who was diagnosed that day with glioblastoma would more than likely be dead by now – that is how serious the condition is'. The Edinburgh South West MP has used the parliamentary time to mention several constituents who have or have had a rare cancer. He said: 'I shared the tragic stories of a young constituent called Tilly, who passed away from neuroblastoma, and Kira, who has lived with the same condition for a decade—half of her life. I am proud to wear the Solving Kids' Cancer badge, which Kira's mother Aud gave me when I last met her. 'One lady travelled quite far to meet me at my constituency surgery in July in Tesco in Colinton Mains. Her daughter was diagnosed with a sarcoma. In Tesco, next to the bleeping self-checkout aisles, she told me about the uncertainty she had faced after that diagnosis and how she had found it impossible even to understand which trials were available, let alone access them. I could see that she had felt powerless and had lost hope. The other reason she was in Edinburgh – perhaps the most important reason – was that she was meeting her ex-husband to scatter her daughter's ashes in a local park. What is happening to people who face these conditions is quite incredible, so it is right that we seek to address them.' He explained to the House that there are three recurring themes in all the stories he has heard – the first is frustration, the second is perseverance and the third is that every story concludes with an offer of help from those patients who 'know that their options are limited'. Dr Arthur said: 'For far too long, rare cancer patients have been left behind—as medical science makes significant progress in many other complex fields, we have not seen enough progress in this one—but they feel this piece of legislation could mark a meaningful shift for many and turn out to be life-altering, perhaps even lifesaving, for some. There is one statistic that I often mention: rare cancers are not really rare, as they account for 47% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK each year. That equates to 180,000 people. If you are one of those 47%, two things are true: you are more likely to face outdated treatments and you are more likely to die.' The bill should spark a government review of what are known as 'orphan drugs' – a term which Dr Arthur says he prefers to talk about rare conditions – to explore new ways of getting the drugs companies to try to find innovative treatments for rare cancers. He hopes this will reduce barriers to research and also mean more trials are conducted in the UK, so saving more lives. Dr Scott Arthur MP (Edinburgh South West, Labour) presenting his bill to the Speaker in October 2024. Dr Scott Arthur MP (Edinburgh South West, Labour) PHOTO © House of Commons Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
15-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Edinburgh MP Scott Arthur deserves congratulations on Bill which aims at level playing field on cancer research
It's not every MP who finds themselves piloting legislation through the Commons within their first year in the job. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... But last Friday, Edinburgh South West Labour MP Scott Arthur- who was only elected at last year's general election - saw his Rare Cancers Bill successfully complete its passage through the Lower House before heading for the Lords. And there's a strong chance it will now become law. As Dr Arthur points out, 'rare cancers' are not really rare since together they account for 47 per cent of UK cancer diagnoses each year - that's 180,000 people. Scott Arthur speaking during the debate on his Bill | screenshot Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But because there is a relatively small market for the drugs for each type of rare cancer, there is little incentive for the pharmaceutical companies to pursue new treatments, which means that some of the treatments currently used for these cancers have not advanced for 20 years or more. Dr Arthur's Bill aims to boost research by removing barriers and paving the way for new ways to incentivise the drug companies. It will place a duty on the Secretary of State to promote research into rare cancers,; it will increase patient access to clinical trials by making it easier to register and by building a central database of willing patients; and it will instigate a review to explore how pharmaceutical companies could be encouraged to trial existing drugs used for other types of cancer to treat rare cancers, or when they are trialling new drugs on more common cancers to trial them on rare cancers too. He says the Bill is about delivering justice for the thousands of people living with rare cancers, which are often among the most deadly forms of the disease, yet whose treatments are too often outdated. As medical science advances, they have been left behind. Dr Arthur's Bill was brought forward as a Private Member's Bill, made possible because he won one of the top places in the regular ballot for such Bills and that guaranteed him enough parliamentary time to have a realistic chance of getting it passed. It's the same system that allowed David Steel to reform abortion law in 1967 and has enabled the current proposal to legalise assisted dying, already passed by MPs and now awaiting approval by the Lords. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Amid all the distrust of politicians and parties, it is good there is a way in which individual MPs can institute non-partisan legislation that will make a real difference to people's lives. And Dr Arthur deserves congratulations on getting this far and best wishes for seeing the task completed.
Glasgow Times
11-07-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Plan to link rare cancer sufferers to suitable clinical trials clears Commons
Allison Gardner said the Rare Cancers Bill 'offers an entirely reasonable set of steps for research, for reviewing and hopefully enabling the development of so-called orphan drugs'. She thanked the Bill's proposer, Scott Arthur, the Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, before it cleared the Commons at third reading. If it clears the Lords after scrutiny at a later date, the Health Secretary would have to review the law relating to 'orphan' drugs, for life-threatening or chronically disabling conditions which affect fewer than five in 10,000 people or medicines which are unlikely to generate enough of a return to justify their further development. It would also demand that the Government sets up a system to enable potential clinical trial participants to be identified and contacted. 'We are indeed surrounded by cancer,' Dr Gardner told the Commons. The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South had earlier said her mother, Breeda, died with pancreatic cancer. 'She fell ill on a Saturday, was diagnosed on a Thursday, and was dead by the following Saturday,' she said. Scott Arthur has proposed the private member's bill (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'One week after that, my father died of oesophageal cancer – not a rare cancer, I believe, but a less survivable one.' Her voice cracked with emotion as she dedicated her support for the Bill to her mother; her partner Jim's sister, Stella Gilbert, who died with bile duct cancer; and her sister's mother-in-law, Doreen, who died with pancreatic cancer. Mr Arthur, whose father-in-law died of glioblastoma, told the Commons that the NHS was 'ill-equipped' to deal with rare cancer patients. 'Awareness levels are often low amongst clinicians, and this leads to the scourge of late diagnosis,' he warned. He said the Bill was about 'justice; it's about creating a more equal playing field for these patients and their families'. Mr Arthur won the support of Conservative shadow health minister, Luke Evans, who said: 'The Bill won't solve everything overnight, but it's a serious step forward and a statement that even the rarest conditions deserve our fullest attentions.' Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the Bill 'aligned' with Government commitments and added: 'The Rare Cancers Bill raises the profile of rare cancers research, ensures our international regulatory competitiveness, and also allows rare cancer patients to be contacted as quickly as possible about research opportunities.' It was one of three private members' bills which cleared the Commons on Friday. MPs called 'aye' to approve Labour MP for Amber Valley Linsey Farnsworth's Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill, which would create a new offence for fans tailgating, 'jibbing' or barging their way into stadiums. They also backed the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill, proposed by Labour MP for Cramlington and Killingworth, Emma Foody. It would reduce the minimum notice period for mutual, no-fault termination of a secure schools funding agreement from seven to two years. A further 32 Bills were listed for debate, but MPs ran out of time to accept or reject them. Among these was Ian Byrne's proposal for a Hillsborough law, named after the deadly 1989 stadium crush in Sheffield, which would place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths. When the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby rose to push his Bill, formally titled the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, Labour whips called 'object' to stall its progress beyond second reading. Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the now-independent MP for Hayes and Harlington who was sat next to Mr Byrne, heckled 'how disgraceful'. Mr Byrne, who did not name a date for its consideration in the future, spoke from he seat when he said: 'We need to get on with this.'
The Herald Scotland
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Plan to link rare cancer sufferers to suitable clinical trials clears Commons
She thanked the Bill's proposer, Scott Arthur, the Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, before it cleared the Commons at third reading. If it clears the Lords after scrutiny at a later date, the Health Secretary would have to review the law relating to 'orphan' drugs, for life-threatening or chronically disabling conditions which affect fewer than five in 10,000 people or medicines which are unlikely to generate enough of a return to justify their further development. It would also demand that the Government sets up a system to enable potential clinical trial participants to be identified and contacted. 'We are indeed surrounded by cancer,' Dr Gardner told the Commons. The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South had earlier said her mother, Breeda, died with pancreatic cancer. 'She fell ill on a Saturday, was diagnosed on a Thursday, and was dead by the following Saturday,' she said. Scott Arthur has proposed the private member's bill (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'One week after that, my father died of oesophageal cancer – not a rare cancer, I believe, but a less survivable one.' Her voice cracked with emotion as she dedicated her support for the Bill to her mother; her partner Jim's sister, Stella Gilbert, who died with bile duct cancer; and her sister's mother-in-law, Doreen, who died with pancreatic cancer. Mr Arthur, whose father-in-law died of glioblastoma, told the Commons that the NHS was 'ill-equipped' to deal with rare cancer patients. 'Awareness levels are often low amongst clinicians, and this leads to the scourge of late diagnosis,' he warned. He said the Bill was about 'justice; it's about creating a more equal playing field for these patients and their families'. Mr Arthur won the support of Conservative shadow health minister, Luke Evans, who said: 'The Bill won't solve everything overnight, but it's a serious step forward and a statement that even the rarest conditions deserve our fullest attentions.' Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the Bill 'aligned' with Government commitments and added: 'The Rare Cancers Bill raises the profile of rare cancers research, ensures our international regulatory competitiveness, and also allows rare cancer patients to be contacted as quickly as possible about research opportunities.' It was one of three private members' bills which cleared the Commons on Friday. MPs called 'aye' to approve Labour MP for Amber Valley Linsey Farnsworth's Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill, which would create a new offence for fans tailgating, 'jibbing' or barging their way into stadiums. They also backed the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill, proposed by Labour MP for Cramlington and Killingworth, Emma Foody. It would reduce the minimum notice period for mutual, no-fault termination of a secure schools funding agreement from seven to two years. A further 32 Bills were listed for debate, but MPs ran out of time to accept or reject them. Among these was Ian Byrne's proposal for a Hillsborough law, named after the deadly 1989 stadium crush in Sheffield, which would place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths. When the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby rose to push his Bill, formally titled the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, Labour whips called 'object' to stall its progress beyond second reading. Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the now-independent MP for Hayes and Harlington who was sat next to Mr Byrne, heckled 'how disgraceful'. Mr Byrne, who did not name a date for its consideration in the future, spoke from he seat when he said: 'We need to get on with this.'
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Plan to link rare cancer sufferers to suitable clinical trials clears Commons
An MP whose mother died of cancer days after her diagnosis has welcomed plans to link patients with clinical trials. Allison Gardner said the Rare Cancers Bill 'offers an entirely reasonable set of steps for research, for reviewing and hopefully enabling the development of so-called orphan drugs'. She thanked the Bill's proposer, Scott Arthur, the Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, before it cleared the Commons at third reading. If it clears the Lords after scrutiny at a later date, the Health Secretary would have to review the law relating to 'orphan' drugs, for life-threatening or chronically disabling conditions which affect fewer than five in 10,000 people or medicines which are unlikely to generate enough of a return to justify their further development. It would also demand that the Government sets up a system to enable potential clinical trial participants to be identified and contacted. 'We are indeed surrounded by cancer,' Dr Gardner told the Commons. The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South had earlier said her mother, Breeda, died with pancreatic cancer. 'She fell ill on a Saturday, was diagnosed on a Thursday, and was dead by the following Saturday,' she said. 'One week after that, my father died of oesophageal cancer – not a rare cancer, I believe, but a less survivable one.' Her voice cracked with emotion as she dedicated her support for the Bill to her mother; her partner Jim's sister, Stella Gilbert, who died with bile duct cancer; and her sister's mother-in-law, Doreen, who died with pancreatic cancer. Mr Arthur, whose father-in-law died of glioblastoma, told the Commons that the NHS was 'ill-equipped' to deal with rare cancer patients. 'Awareness levels are often low amongst clinicians, and this leads to the scourge of late diagnosis,' he warned. He said the Bill was about 'justice; it's about creating a more equal playing field for these patients and their families'. Mr Arthur won the support of Conservative shadow health minister, Luke Evans, who said: 'The Bill won't solve everything overnight, but it's a serious step forward and a statement that even the rarest conditions deserve our fullest attentions.' Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the Bill 'aligned' with Government commitments and added: 'The Rare Cancers Bill raises the profile of rare cancers research, ensures our international regulatory competitiveness, and also allows rare cancer patients to be contacted as quickly as possible about research opportunities.' It was one of three private members' bills which cleared the Commons on Friday. MPs called 'aye' to approve Labour MP for Amber Valley Linsey Farnsworth's Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill, which would create a new offence for fans tailgating, 'jibbing' or barging their way into stadiums. They also backed the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill, proposed by Labour MP for Cramlington and Killingworth, Emma Foody. It would reduce the minimum notice period for mutual, no-fault termination of a secure schools funding agreement from seven to two years. A further 32 Bills were listed for debate, but MPs ran out of time to accept or reject them. Among these was Ian Byrne's proposal for a Hillsborough law, named after the deadly 1989 stadium crush in Sheffield, which would place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths. When the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby rose to push his Bill, formally titled the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, Labour whips called 'object' to stall its progress beyond second reading. Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the now-independent MP for Hayes and Harlington who was sat next to Mr Byrne, heckled 'how disgraceful'. Mr Byrne, who did not name a date for its consideration in the future, spoke from he seat when he said: 'We need to get on with this.'
