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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Monday, 22 June 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 July 2020. It was answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 July 2020 on behalf of the Home Office.

Female Genital Mutilation

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the challenges and barriers experienced by the UK in relation to measures to prevent female genital mutilation, including the use of protection orders to minimize the risk of exposure of women and girls at risk of mutilation when travelling outside the UK.

Answer

FGM is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.

The Government significantly strengthened the law in 2015 to improve protection for victims and those at risk, and to break down the barriers to prosecution. The Government has: introduced a new offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM; extended the reach of extra territorial offences; introduced lifelong anonymity for victims of FGM; introduced civil FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs); and introduced a mandatory reporting duty for known cases in under 18s.

FGMPOs are being used to good effect, with 547 being granted since their introduction in 2015 to the end of December 2019.

In 2019, the Home Office held a series of roadshows across England and Wales to train professionals in the use of FGM and Forced Marriage Protection Orders. Around 1,300 professionals attended these events, which raised awareness of the scope and effectiveness of the orders and encouraged professionals to always consider them in any safeguarding plans.

We continue to provide free resources on FGM for frontline professionals, including: an online resource pack, e-learning, statutory multi-agency guidance and a range of communication materials.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL5970
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Female genital mutilation Protection Travel
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk