Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the CPS on the effectiveness of prosecution in cases involving female genital mutilation.

The CPS is determined to bring those responsible for Female Genital Mutilation to justice, and recently obtained the first conviction for such a case, in London. CPS prosecutors work closely with the police from the outset of these cases to address the challenges they raise, including legal questions concerning jurisdiction and expert evidence, and have assigned FGM leads for every CPS Area. Whilst prosecution alone will not end this appalling crime, this first conviction sends out a strong message that FGM is child abuse and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.