Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to (a) Home Office and (b) Border Force staff on women and girls who (i) have been subject to and (ii) are at risk of female genital mutilation.
Female genital mutilation is a crime and is child abuse. Border Force frontline officers undertake FGM training to learn about geographical areas of prevalence, girls at potential risk and how to deal with situations when they have concerns. Officers are also alert to the identification of FGM indicative paraphernalia which may be found in baggage or parcels intercepted. Border Force plays a vital role in helping to identify and protect potential victims of FGM travelling to and from the UK.
Female Genital Mutilation is the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for no medical reason. It is also known as female circumcision or cutting.
FGM is illegal under the FGM Act 2003 - it has been a specific offence since 1985 and has a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment. Since 2010, the Government has:
o significantly strengthened the law on FGM and forced marriage;
o issued a range of materials to support professionals to help them understand these issues, including publishing statutory multi-agency guidance and making available free e-learning; and
our FGM and Forced Marriage Units are carrying out ongoing programmes of outreach for professionals and communities.