Sylvia Heal is Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

Born Sylvia Fox in Clwyd, North Wales in 1942, into a political family of Shotton steelworkers. Sylvia was educated at Elfed Secondary School, Coleg Harlech and University College of Wales (Swansea) where she gained a degree B.Sc (Econ) degree and is now an Honorary Fellow.

Sylvia worked within the NHS and an Employment Rehabilitation Centre. During her parliamentary interregnum she worked as a Young Carers Officer with the Carers National Association, now known as Carers UK.

Sylvia is an active member of the GMB Trade Union and has held various positions within the Labour Party at a local, regional and national level. Sylvia was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1973.

1990 saw Sylvia become the victor of the sensational Mid-Staffordshire by-election following the sad death of the Conservative MP John Heddle. She overturned a majority of 14,654 with a 21 per cent swing to Labour, after a campaign based on opposition to the Poll Tax. Sylvia served for two years as a member of the House of Common’s Education Select Committee and was soon promoted to the front bench as a shadow spokeswoman on Health and Women. She was a member of the Executive of the Soldiers, Sailors, Air force Families Association (SSAFA) and the Advertising Standards Authority. However Sylvia lost her seat in 1992.

Sylvia was returned to Parliament in the 1997 General Election as MP for the West Midlands seat of Halesowen & Rowley Regis. She was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary George Robertson MP and his successor Geoff Hoon MP. Sylvia was also a member of the NATO Parliamentary Committee from 1997 until 2000 as well as being a member of the Parliamentary Committee that is elected by backbench MPs to meet weekly with the Prime Minister. In November 2000 Sylvia was appointed Deputy Speaker a post which requires her to direct proceedings in the chamber of the House of Commons.

Sylvia has regularly taken delegations to meet with Government Ministers on issues such as education, health and the economy. She has also campaigned on issues such as rights for disabled children, carers and road safety.

Sylvia enjoys gardening, walking, and listening to male voice choirs.