On Monday I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak on two very important issues in the health and education policy areas. Although both of these areas are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, it was interesting to hear the differences between the approach in England, and here in Scotland

First was questions to the Secretary of State for Education, where I raised an issue I have spoken to a number of times in the past – sprinklers in school buildings, which are already mandatory here in Scotland and in Wales. I asked the Secretary of State whether he had made any recent assessment of the need for sprinklers to be mandatory in English schools. You can read a transcript of my question in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

I then joined the Westminster Hall debate on Endometriosis and PCOS, two conditions that affect 10% of women across the UK, but are incredibly difficult to receive a diagnosis for, with the average wait time for diagnosis of Endometriosis currently 8 years in England, and 8.5 years in Scotland. I was grateful to Taiwo Owatemi, MP for Coventry North West, for allowing  me to intervene during her speech. In my intervention I sought to highlight the impact the conditions and lack of treatment can have on mental health, and that the psychological symptoms should be considered as seriously as the physical. You can read a transcript of my intervention in Hansard, or watch the debate on ParliamentTV.