Edinburgh MP Scott Arthur could use private member's bill to improve treatment for brain cancer

And he could propose a bill to incentivise clinical trials to find new medicines to treat a common form of brain cancer which gives sufferers only nine months to live. His father-in-law died of the disease a few years ago.

Dr Arthur, who won his seat from the SNP's Joanna Cherry at the general election, was among the 20 names drawn in the ballot for private members' bills which takes place near the start of each parliamentary session.

New Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur makes his maiden speech in the Commons | parliament

The first seven MPs whose names are drawn are almost guaranteed a full debate in the Commons on their bill.  A total of 458 MPs entered the ballot and Dr Arthur was in sixth place. Another new Capital MP, Tracy Gilbert, who won Edinburgh North & Leith, also made the top 20, but she was number 12.     

Dr Arthur said he was considering a number of options, including a bill on the treatment of glioblastoma brain tumours.

Around 3,200 people are diagnosed with the cancer each year in the UK.  But the treatment for it has not changed for 30 years because there is no financial incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to run clinical trials for such a small patient group.

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh has been campaigning for a change in the law to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in finding new treatments.  Her sister Margaret McDonagh, who was general secretary of the Labour Party and played a key role in the party's 1997 landslide victory, died of glioblastoma in 2023, aged 61.

Dr Arthur said his father-in-law, Ivor Huntchinson, had died from the same form of cancer in 2018, aged 76.

A bill on glioblastoma would be modelled on an EU initiative which encouraged pharmaceutical companies to invest in medicines for children and saw an increase of at least 30 per cent in trials in the UK involving under-18s.

Dr Arthur said: "This similar approach is being used in Europe for paediatric medicine where you incentivise the pharmaceutical companies by extending their patent period in return for them developing a proper strategy to deal with it.”

Other ideas he could take up include a bill which would address the full extent of the climate and nature crisis in line with the most up-to-date science; a bill to extend the law banning pavement parking to England; or a bill to require cruise ships to connect to a dockside electricity supply rather than running on diesel, which is cheaper but far more polluting.

Changes in the law as a result of private members’ bills in recent years include the introduction of unpaid leave for carers, recognising British Sign Language as an official language in England, and safeguards to ensure workers keep their tips.

Ms Gilbert said she was exploring some ideas and talking to people about what issue she would take up in her bill. “There are a couple of things I’ve thought of looking at, but I’m still trying to test them out. I want to do something that is impactful for people in Edinburgh North & Leith.”