Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Scottish Government since the Girl Summit in July 2014 on the issue of prosecution for cases of female genital mutilation; and what specific actions have taken place as a result.

Scottish Ministers have been consulted on the implementation of the commitments agreed at the Girl Summit where they impact upon Scotland. This has included discussions on measures to strengthen law enforcement on female genital mutilation(FGM) with a particular focus on some of the legal barriers in cases of FGM.

As a result the Scottish Parliament's consent is being sought for the provisions on extra territorial jurisdiction in clause 67(2) of the Serious Crime Bill amending both the FGM Act 2003 and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005.