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Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Bill [HL]

I would like to comment on that. There is a widely advertised case of an 11 year-old girl who was taken out of school and has been rescued. I do not know the circumstances and it is difficult to make one case apply to all. I would urge Members of the Committee not to make a general assumption that all 13 year-olds are withdrawn from school. That used to happen and it still does, and we should all be ashamed about it. We should ensure that all possible protection is available. However, a significant number of girls from different backgrounds continue in education. All of us have worked so hard to put this legislation into the mainstream framework and I hope that families will not feel as though it is against them, their cultures and their religions and that they will encourage young girls in particular to continue their education. This is an important process.