Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to reduce the rate of hate crime against the LGBT community.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This Government abhors all forms of hate crime, including hate crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity. That is why we are taking a cross-Government approach to tackling the issues through the Hate Crime Action Plan published in July 2016. The Government will continue to deliver against the commitments under the action plan which includes recently announced funding for seven new community-led projects, one of which focuses specifically on tackling LGBT hate crime. The Home Secretary has also announced in October funding for the creation of a national online hate crime hub, improving the response to all forms of hate crime.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the statutory mandatory reporting duty in relation to female genital mutilation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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.
Mandatory reporting of FGM came into force in October 2015 and requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases in under 18s to the police. Figures are not collated centrally. However, we continue to engage with the police, professional bodies and wider stakeholders to monitor its implementation.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been prevented from leaving the country because it is believed they are going abroad to undergo female genital mutilation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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.
FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs) were fast-tracked for implementation in July 2015, to protect girls before the school holidays started. The most recent data shows that in the period July 2015 – June 2016, 68 orders were granted. FGMPOs may include conditions to protect victims or potential victims, including preventing them from being taken out of the UK. Centrally held data is not disaggregated to show the actual number of victims prevented from travelling.
We continue to work with the police and other agencies to ensure that FGMPOs are being used as widely as possible. On 1 April, we issued statutory guidance on FGM for all frontline professionals which includes information on FGMPOs. The Home Office-led FGM Unit delivers an ongoing programme of outreach across the UK which includes providing support to local areas and speaking at awareness raising events. The Unit recently visited all forces in England and Wales to understand their response to FGM and raise awareness of examples of best practice, including on the use of FGMPOs.
In addition, Border Force plays a vital role in helping to identify and protect potential victims of FGM travelling to and from the UK. A rolling programme of joint police-Border Force operations take place at airports during the school holidays targeting inbound and outbound flights to and from countries with a high prevalence of FGM, forced marriage and human trafficking. Border Force works in close partnership with other agencies, including social services, the police and non government organisations.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that police forces and local authorities are making use of female genital mutilation protection orders.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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.
FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs) were fast-tracked for implementation in July 2015, to protect girls before the school holidays started. The most recent data shows that in the period July 2015 – June 2016, 68 orders were granted. FGMPOs may include conditions to protect victims or potential victims, including preventing them from being taken out of the UK. Centrally held data is not disaggregated to show the actual number of victims prevented from travelling.
We continue to work with the police and other agencies to ensure that FGMPOs are being used as widely as possible. On 1 April, we issued statutory guidance on FGM for all frontline professionals which includes information on FGMPOs. The Home Office-led FGM Unit delivers an ongoing programme of outreach across the UK which includes providing support to local areas and speaking at awareness raising events. The Unit recently visited all forces in England and Wales to understand their response to FGM and raise awareness of examples of best practice, including on the use of FGMPOs.
In addition, Border Force plays a vital role in helping to identify and protect potential victims of FGM travelling to and from the UK. A rolling programme of joint police-Border Force operations take place at airports during the school holidays targeting inbound and outbound flights to and from countries with a high prevalence of FGM, forced marriage and human trafficking. Border Force works in close partnership with other agencies, including social services, the police and non government organisations.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will require cross-government working in order to ensure a cohesive approach is adopted in addressing female genital mutilation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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.
Mandatory reporting of FGM came into force in October 2015 and requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases in under 18s to the police. Figures are not collated centrally. However, we continue to engage with the police, professional bodies and wider stakeholders to monitor its implementation.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reports have been made by teachers, social workers and health professionals, so far, to the police regarding known cases of female genital mutilation involving victims under the age of 18.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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.
Mandatory reporting of FGM came into force in October 2015 and requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases in under 18s to the police. Figures are not collated centrally. However, we continue to engage with the police, professional bodies and wider stakeholders to monitor its implementation.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in identifying a more reliable methodology than the one currently used to measure the number of girls at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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 has taken a range of measures to support professionals, increase our understanding of FGM and co-ordinate activity across Government.
This includes:
• a mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015.
• publishing new multi-agency guidance on 1 April for all frontline professionals, including the police, which is statutory, for the first time.
• over 70,000 professionals have completed our free FGM e-learning, which we have updated to include information on the recent changes to the law.
• the Department of Health’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme which is improving the NHS response • Department for Education have funded the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is working to strengthen the social care response.
The Government also recognises the importance of gathering and disseminating information on the prevalence of, and attitudes to, FGM. In addition, we are part-funding a 2015 prevalence study and we have also introduced the recording and publication of FGM patient data across the NHS in England. We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. In July 2016, the Department of Health delivered a targeted patient and public facing FGM prevention advertising campaign based on our understanding of the motivations for FGM which has generated over 650,000 views on social media.
We continue to work closely with community organisations, faith groups and survivors to better understand the motivations behind FGM. The FGM role and function is to coordinate work across Government and carry out outreach work. However, we are clear that all agencies have a role to play in tackling FGM.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the female genital mutilation (FGM) unit will be given the remit, powers and budget to become the sole source for safeguarding girls at risk and eradicating FGM.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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 has taken a range of measures to support professionals, increase our understanding of FGM and co-ordinate activity across Government.
This includes:
• a mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015.
• publishing new multi-agency guidance on 1 April for all frontline professionals, including the police, which is statutory, for the first time.
• over 70,000 professionals have completed our free FGM e-learning, which we have updated to include information on the recent changes to the law.
• the Department of Health’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme which is improving the NHS response • Department for Education have funded the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is working to strengthen the social care response.
The Government also recognises the importance of gathering and disseminating information on the prevalence of, and attitudes to, FGM. In addition, we are part-funding a 2015 prevalence study and we have also introduced the recording and publication of FGM patient data across the NHS in England. We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. In July 2016, the Department of Health delivered a targeted patient and public facing FGM prevention advertising campaign based on our understanding of the motivations for FGM which has generated over 650,000 views on social media.
We continue to work closely with community organisations, faith groups and survivors to better understand the motivations behind FGM. The FGM role and function is to coordinate work across Government and carry out outreach work. However, we are clear that all agencies have a role to play in tackling FGM.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will commission research to ascertain attitudes towards female genital mutilation, including motivations for continuing to use the procedure and awareness of the law prohibiting it.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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 has taken a range of measures to support professionals, increase our understanding of FGM and co-ordinate activity across Government.
This includes:
• a mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015.
• publishing new multi-agency guidance on 1 April for all frontline professionals, including the police, which is statutory, for the first time.
• over 70,000 professionals have completed our free FGM e-learning, which we have updated to include information on the recent changes to the law.
• the Department of Health’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme which is improving the NHS response • Department for Education have funded the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is working to strengthen the social care response.
The Government also recognises the importance of gathering and disseminating information on the prevalence of, and attitudes to, FGM. In addition, we are part-funding a 2015 prevalence study and we have also introduced the recording and publication of FGM patient data across the NHS in England. We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. In July 2016, the Department of Health delivered a targeted patient and public facing FGM prevention advertising campaign based on our understanding of the motivations for FGM which has generated over 650,000 views on social media.
We continue to work closely with community organisations, faith groups and survivors to better understand the motivations behind FGM. The FGM role and function is to coordinate work across Government and carry out outreach work. However, we are clear that all agencies have a role to play in tackling FGM.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of progress in ensuring that all those involved in child protection are aware of, and take action to prevent, the procedure of female genital mutilation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Female Genital Mutilation (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 has taken a range of measures to support professionals, increase our understanding of FGM and co-ordinate activity across Government.
This includes:
• a mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015.
• publishing new multi-agency guidance on 1 April for all frontline professionals, including the police, which is statutory, for the first time.
• over 70,000 professionals have completed our free FGM e-learning, which we have updated to include information on the recent changes to the law.
• the Department of Health’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme which is improving the NHS response • Department for Education have funded the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is working to strengthen the social care response.
The Government also recognises the importance of gathering and disseminating information on the prevalence of, and attitudes to, FGM. In addition, we are part-funding a 2015 prevalence study and we have also introduced the recording and publication of FGM patient data across the NHS in England. We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. In July 2016, the Department of Health delivered a targeted patient and public facing FGM prevention advertising campaign based on our understanding of the motivations for FGM which has generated over 650,000 views on social media.
We continue to work closely with community organisations, faith groups and survivors to better understand the motivations behind FGM. The FGM role and function is to coordinate work across Government and carry out outreach work. However, we are clear that all agencies have a role to play in tackling FGM.