Oral Answers to Questions

Kirsteen Sullivan Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Baroness Longfield is now beginning the work of the inquiry, with victims and survivors at the heart of the process. Under this Government, convictions are at their highest level ever, and we are introducing mandatory reporting on child sexual abuse and putting a legal duty on police to collect ethnicity data. But forgive me if I do not take suggestions from the hon. Lady, who said that people legally settled here should “go home” to ensure that the UK is “culturally coherent”. That is a grotesque way to talk about our friends and neighbours. I rather suspect that when she next asks a question, she will be sitting on the Benches up there.

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

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?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We hosted the International Women’s Day event on Monday, where I spoke to so many women who are concerned about this issue. It is totally unacceptable that women have waited sometimes up to a decade for an endometriosis diagnosis. We are renewing the women’s health strategy, improving training for doctors and cutting wait times for gynaecology services, which will be prioritised through NHS Online. We are also investing in research on how to improve diagnosis and treatment.