Kirsteen Sullivan MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 13 Apr 2026 · Statutory Menstrual Leave · Hansard source

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  Menstrual health conditions, including endometriosis, result in an estimated cost of £11 billion a year to the UK economy. Does my hon. Friend agree that having more supportive workplaces—workplaces without stigma, where there is an understanding of the chronic nature of some of those conditions—will have a positive effect not only for the women living with those conditions but overall, for our economy?

• 13 Apr 2026 · Statutory Menstrual Leave · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making a very powerful point. Does she agree that the impact on women’s mental health is rarely spoken about? Women feel ignored and dismissed, but they are living in constant pain and the anticipation of it, which just wears them down. The mental health point is rarely acknowledged but must be addressed.

• 24 Mar 2026 · Personal Protective Equipment (Inclusive Standards) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require that personal protective equipment procured and provided by public sector and associated bodies must comply with Standard BS 30417:2025, or an equivalent specified standard; and for connected purposes. I bring the Bill to the House as a proud member of the GMB union. We all know the importance of personal protective equipment, which is the final defence against unavoidable risks in the workplace, but what is not always appreciated is that employees across the UK are routinely working without fit-to-form PPE, compromising safety and hindering their productivity. BS 30417, developed by the British Standards Institution, is guidance that puts fit-to-form PPE as a consideration at every stage of purchasing, supply and use. Our workforce is not homogenous: employees are not all male, 5 feet 9 and 85 kg—and even then, PPE is often designed for a taller man. Too many are given inadequate PPE whether they are preparing food, handling chemicals, building houses, healing patients or fighting fires—boots so big that they become trip hazards, gloves so large that they cannot grip properly, or high-vis jackets so cumbersome that they restrict movement. Although some employers offer inclusive PPE, it is time for us to put our money where our mouth is. Enshrining the BSI’s new PPE standard or the industry equivalent in public procurement sends a clear message to employers and manufacturers that the future of work and PPE is inclusive. Over the past year and a half, I have met women across industries—health services, the fire service, police, armed services and engineering—and they are exasperated at poor-fit PPE and, often, the ridicule that comes with it. Take something as simple as sizing. The smallest glove size available on the market is still too large for 86% of female hands. That is not just inconvenient and cumbersome; it is unsafe. Many women doing training drills on ladders, or handling hoses and ropes, find them impossible as the gloves are simply too big to allow for a secure grip. Running into a burning building is something that few of us would ever want to face, but our firefighters do that daily. In an attack, running towards danger is something few of us would do, but our police officers do that daily. Handling soiled linen and cleaning up bodily waste is something most of us avoid where possible, but our carers, nurses and medical professionals do that daily. One Scottish firefighter came to me with her experience of running into burning buildings, but the service did not have any female-fit fire boots. That is intolerable, and a dangerous trip hazard in a perilous situation. In basic frontline protection, we are failing women who are putting their lives on the line. The horror stories go on. Stab vests, predominantly designed to fit men, are simply inadequate to fit the body shape of female police officers. Ordinarily, they are too big and too loose. When running, the stab vest slides up and down, hitting against their neck and chin, in an encumbrance that slows them down in moments of danger. In one case, a knife slipped under a police officer’s garment and she was hospitalised with severe stab wounds. Alternatively, officers are forced to tie them so tight that it impairs their breathing. Others spoke of needing to alter their PPE just to make it fit, which completely compromises their safety and makes the worker legally liable for accidents on site because they are wearing their PPE incorrectly. And that is before we even begin to talk about the lack of well-fitting protective clothing for people with disabilities, religious and cultural requirements, and men who do not fit the average size. Women in war zones have reported their oversized body armour cutting their thighs when sat in vehicles traversing rocky terrain, or of helmets falling over their eyes. We should not expect our service personnel to enter combat zones if we cannot deliver the body armour and fitted head protection that can save lives. Although such examples are not limited to public services, the purchasing power of the state represents a sizeable portion of the market, through the purchase of PPE for our council care workers, firefighters, armed services and police. This Bill will put people at the forefront of PPE procurement, ensuring true fit-to-form protection from sparks and burns, waste and disease, machinery and chemicals. I give special thanks to the people who put so much work into the new BSI standard and helped me learn all things PPE. The subject was not my forte, but it soon became a passion project. I thank the BSI drafting panel, superbly led by Sara Gibbs and Natalie Wilson. I am also grateful for the inspiration of Rowshi Hussain for challenging PPE straight from graduation into various construction sites; Robbie McGregor for all his help; and the GMB team, Mel and Lynsey, for bringing their campaign for inclusive PPE to employers and to the workplace. I also place on record my thanks to my parliamentary assistant, Angus Walker Stewart, who diligently followed me down this rabbit hole. I also take this opportunity to wish the British Standards Institution a very happy birthday—it is a big one—marking 125 years of standardising our rail gauges, plug sockets and now PPE. I conclude my proposal of this Bill by bringing it back to where I live and where I come from politically. International Workers’ Memorial Day falls on 28 April every year. In Bathgate, where I live, we gather in Balbardie Park, which is most beautiful in the springtime, with the cherry blossoms welcoming visitors. Now designated a park of peace, this old colliery site saw at least 23 fatalities during its operation. International Workers’ Memorial Day’s motto is “Remember the dead, fight for the living”. This new inclusive PPE standard allows us to do just that and help ensure that those who go to work return home once again. With an ambitious plan to upgrade infrastructure and build 1.5 million new homes, this Labour Government can lead by example and enshrine BS 30417, or equivalent, at the heart of public sector procurement. Question put and agreed to . Ordered, That Kirsteen Sullivan, Patricia Ferguson, Mike Reader, Susan Murray, Chris Kane, Douglas McAllister, Johanna Baxter, Tracy Gilbert, Elaine Stewart and Lillian Jones present the Bill. Kirsteen Sullivan accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 17 April, and to be printed (Bill 404 ).

• 19 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last Saturday, Nicola’s women’s support group celebrated its first anniversary, marking a year of welcoming women in West Lothian to connect, share experiences and offer a listening ear. Nicola’s was founded in memory of a beautiful young woman, Nicola, who took her own life after repeated delays to desperately needed surgery for endometriosis. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking the Nicola’s team, including her family and all the volunteers, for the invaluable work they do to support local women?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Social Enterprises and Community Ownership · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. Many of our communities have felt left behind, with their concerns about the places where they live often going unheard, so I welcome the steps that this Government have taken since July 2024 to address that imbalance. They are giving power back to local people through programmes such as Pride in Place, which is investing £20 million in the communities of Whitburn and Blackburn in my constituency. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has been in place for more than a decade, but it has not quite delivered what was hoped. Although the word “empowerment” is enshrined in the name, that has all too often stayed on paper. Ultimately, when austerity is the driver of local community ownership, that undermines the chances of success, but when it is driven by community aspiration and ambition, proactive uptake can make a real difference to a community’s renewal and can breathe new life into our high streets and town centres. One such example is the Low Port Centre in Linlithgow. The building was declared surplus to council requirements in 2023, but by early 2024, what had started out as a project for a group from St John’s church in Linlithgow had quickly evolved into an endeavour that attracted businesses, community groups and volunteers from across the town. They secured the building and converted it into a centre for small businesses, innovators, charities, the church itself and the Linlithgow reed band. There is even accommodation there. They identified what the residents and the town needed and how their collective endeavour could deliver for everyone. That needs to change from the exception to the rule. The UK’s Government’s commitment to enshrine co-operative values in their effort to increase community ownership will support exactly that.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Personal Protective Equipment Contracts · Hansard source

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  With the Government on a mission to build 1.5 million new homes and invest billions in upgrading critical infrastructure, fit-to-form PPE is more important than ever for the expanding workforce. The Government have an opportunity to embrace BS 30417 and use the state’s substantial purchasing power to increase employee safety through inclusive PPE for all. Will the Government commit to becoming an early adopter of the standard and lead industry by example?

• 5 Mar 2026 · Personal Protective Equipment Contracts · Hansard source

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  12. What steps his Department is taking to encourage the adoption of the inclusive personal protective equipment standard BS 30417 in Government procurement contracts.

• 4 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q12. Nine years and four months ago, Britain was basking in its success after the Rio Olympics, but each day, month and year since, women have lived with the chronic pain of undiagnosed endometriosis. According to Endometriosis UK’s new report, the UK’s average wait time for diagnosis has worsened since 2020, with women in Scotland waiting even longer, facing an average wait time of 10 years and two months. At the start of Endometriosis Action Month, will the Prime Minister commit to reducing diagnosis wait times and ending the lost decade for women living with endometriosis?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise the valuable contribution that young people in Scotland have made to the democratic process, first in 2014, when they were able to vote in the independence referendum, and subsequently in Scottish local and parliamentary elections? Does he value their contribution?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  I welcome the opportunity to speak, even if it is briefly, in the debate. Young people have often felt left out of discussions and decisions about their future, and have felt that their voices do not matter, so I welcome the steps that the Bill will take to standardise the vote age across all elections. In Scotland, the age for voting in a general election has been out of step with the age for voting in Holyrood and council elections since 2016. While I welcome the steps towards increasing participation and accessibility, we must do more to expand representation. The last general election marked the first point in our history at which enough female MPs had ever been elected to fill the Chamber. There have been 695 female MPs since 1918; I am the 673rd. However, we have missed an opportunity. As we heard, section 106 of the Equality Act is still to be commenced. I know that the Government are committed to commencing it. When commenced, section 106 will improve transparency, accountability and consistency in how parties collect and publish candidate diversity data. By bringing greater transparency, that section will allow nominations across parties to be analysed consistently and transparently, putting a spotlight on the selection of women candidates and highlighting any disparities. Commencement is supported by Centenary Action, 50:50 Parliament, the Electoral Reform Society and Elect Her to ensure that Chambers across the country better reflect the communities that we all serve. Ahead of the centenary of women’s suffrage in 2028, I ask the Minister to reiterate that commitment today and to consider whether section 106 should be reflected in this Bill in the light of the commendable aim of strengthening our democracy.

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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• 12 Feb 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

• 12 Feb 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The airspace modernisation strategy will rationalise flightpaths last redrawn in the 1950s to cut emissions and noise. However, the community in the historical village of Blackness, in my constituency, are concerned that the opposite will happen with the plans for Edinburgh airport airspace, and that their tranquil village will bear the brunt of the disruption. Will the Minister meet my constituents to discuss their concerns at the earliest opportunity?

• 12 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last week, my constituents Gillian Greenwell and Craig Turpie from Bathgate’s Turpie & Co visited Parliament and watched business questions from the Gallery. They were visiting London for the Guild of Property Professionals awards, where they won silver in the overall UK award and gold in the Scotland award. As estate agents, they described this place as a period property located in a well-connected, up-and-coming community with views of iconic landmarks. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the team at Turpie & Co, commend them for their contribution to the local economy and wish them well for the future?

• 10 Feb 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  As a Labour and Co-operative MP, I am absolutely delighted by the publication of the local power plan. I have seen that work in action through local energy projects such as Bo’ness scout group, which is reducing its bills with 40 solar panels and delivering funding support for young people. What steps will the Government take to increase accessibility and community capacity to deliver local power plans, and will the Secretary of State join me on a visit to Bo’ness scouts?

• 5 Feb 2026 · Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. As a Committee member, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (Elaine Stewart) for this statement. My constituency of Bathgate and Linlithgow has a proud industrial tradition, from mining and manufacturing to electronics. However, when companies closed and industries shut down, that had an absolutely devastating impact on local communities. Will my hon. Friend talk a bit more about the legacy of deindustrialisation for our young people—particularly in Scotland, where one in six young people are not in education, employment or training?

• 5 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The yearly Linlithgow marches organised by the Deacons Court is a 16th-century tradition marking the boundaries of the ancient and royal burgh. The marches celebrate civic pride. There are floats, parades, and much merriment from early in the morning. Last year, the court celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special service in December, which was attended by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the Deacons Court, and perhaps join me for a glass and some merriment at this year’s marches?

• 4 Feb 2026 · Armed Conflict: Children · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Gentleman share my concern that kidnap is increasingly being used as a tool of war in areas of conflict, whether Ukraine, where thousands of children have been abducted and torn from their homes, or in Nigeria and Sudan? This is becoming more prevalent, and it is causing immense worry.

• 4 Feb 2026 · Armed Conflict: Children · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Sarah Smith) on securing this debate. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) for her campaigning to return the stolen Ukrainian children. Worryingly, children are increasingly the deliberate targets of violence, including in the severe disaster unfolding in Sudan. The UN Secretary-General’s children and armed conflict mandate has documented a severe escalation in grave violations against children, most of all by the RSF. The RSF, which controls most of south-west Sudan, has nearly 1,200 attributed violations against children in the past year. Those violations kill and maim children every single day. Sexual violence, abductions and recruitment are used as routine weapons of war. They are not sporadic acts but a systematic campaign of terror against children. Forces in Sudan are using hunger and sexual violence as weapons to target entire ethnic communities. UNICEF and local non-governmental organisations have reported widespread sexual violence against women and girls, and against children as young as one year old—a baby. The children of Sudan will carry the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives. As they rebuild and reconcile, they will need unprecedented support to overcome injuries, including the injuries of those who have lost limbs, and to overcome traumatic stress and the collapse of their entire world as they knew it. I believe that we have a human obligation to support the Sudanese people, but also to account for our long and complicated relations with Sudan. I was contacted by a constituent concerned that British-made military components could be diverted to the RSF. Given the RSF’s atrocities, I want the Government to resolve that any diversion of military components would be morally indefensible. I am grateful for the Minister’s recent response to my letter on that point. He confirmed that officials have reviewed over 2,000 licences, considering the allegations of diversion, and stated that there are no current licences for the reported equipment and none has been issued to the United Arab Emirates in recent years. I would be grateful if the Minister reiterated that reassurance, because vigilance is essential—we cannot stop. Our commitment to prevent British-made components from fuelling atrocities must be absolute and we must act with urgency, transparency and determination.

• 2 Feb 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. Although 116 people in my constituency have signed the petitions, the story of one constituent—I will call her Jill—stuck with me. It is a story of anxiety and uncertainty for Jill, who works in social care on a health and social care visa. She described the reality that many face: low pay, unsafe workloads and a fear that speaking up about conditions at work could put her visa at risk. She made the point that those pressures have been pushing people to breaking point across the country for years. She captured exactly why this issue matters. People like Jill moved here in good faith. They brought their families. They got jobs in health and social care roles, filling the critical gaps that we have in the workforce. They are contributing to society and dutifully paying their tax. Now the goalposts are potentially being moved. Will the Minister commit to protecting those already on the five-year route to indefinite leave to remain from retrospective changes? For workers like Jill, settlement is not just a petition or debate; it is whether they can plan a future in the country for which they are helping to care, whether they will have to uproot their families and leave the homes where they have created connections and communities, whether they can speak up about unsafe conditions without fear and whether their financial and emotional sacrifices will ever lead to the security they were promised. Many on this route organised their lives around the existing five-year pathway.

• 2 Feb 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Hansard source

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  In the interests of time, I will not. Those people budgeted for visa fees, planned family life and made long-term decisions on the understanding that after five years they could apply for settlement. Extending that to 10 years means five more years of uncertainty and thousands of pounds in additional costs. For families, it means children growing up with prolonged insecurity and uncertainty. For workers, it means remaining tied to temporary status for a decade, severely limiting their bargaining power at work. For our public services, it risks driving away exactly the people we can least afford to lose. I am not arguing that immigration policy can never change; I think most people here agree that it can and must change. However, there is a fundamental issue of fairness when changes are applied to people who are already here, already contributing to local and national economies and our public services and already well along a pathway that was clearly set out to them. We should not and must not pull the rug from under them now.

• 29 Jan 2026 · Women’s State Pension Age Communication: PHSO Report · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement, and the repeated apology on behalf of the Government, but like many Labour Members and other Members across the House, I have long supported WASPI women. I commend the WASPI women in west Lothian and Falkirk for their perseverance over many years. I have spoken to several women who have experienced significant financial hardship and emotional and physical strain, and I share their undoubted disappointment today. Has he considered the impact of the decision on perceptions and, indeed, the efficacy, of the ombudsman, which recommended that compensation be paid?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Regional Funding · Hansard source

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  2. What steps she is taking to provide regional funding.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Regional Funding · Hansard source

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  I welcome the fantastic news that Edinburgh and south-east Scotland will receive £37.8 million from the new local growth fund, supporting infrastructure, business support and skills development. However, I consistently hear from businesses that they struggle to recruit people with the skill sets needed to grow their operations and fuel economic growth. Can the Chancellor set out how this investment will reach beyond the cities to tackle the acute skills shortages in my constituency of Bathgate and Linlithgow?

• 21 Jan 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q5. Some 1.5 million women in the UK live with endometriosis, which is a painful and life-changing condition. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on endometriosis, I met Jessica Smith and Endo Warriors West Lothian to discuss their campaign for a national endometriosis registry to capture and audit diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. Will the Prime Minister join me in commending the work of Jessica, Endo Warriors West Lothian and Endometriosis UK, and will he meet me to discuss creating a registry to improve the lives of women living with endometriosis?