Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing
Tom Arthur was appointed as Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing in June 2025.
Responsibilities
Supports the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
Specific responsibilities are:
- social care and integration
- National Care Service
- mental health wellbeing
- child and adolescent mental health
- suicide prevention
- dementia
- augmentative and alternative communication
- Mental Welfare Commission
- survivors of childhood abuse
- forensic mental health services and reform
- Care Inspectorate
- self-directed support
- adult support and protection
- care, support and rights
- social service workforce
- delivering ‘Anne’s Law’
- Independent Living Fund
- social prescribing
Biography
Born in Paisley in 1985, he was first elected to the Scottish Parliament for the seat of Renfrewshire South at the 2016 election, holding the seat in 2021. He joined the Scottish Government as Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth in May 2021.
Mr Arthur was raised in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, where he was educated at Cross Arthurlie Primary and Barrhead High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music then later Master of Music from the University of Glasgow. Before entering politics, he worked as a company director, freelance piano teacher and keyboardist. He was appointed as for Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance in March 2023, and Minister for Employment and Investment in May 2024.
- read more about Tom Arthur on the Scottish Parliament website