Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bates on 19 December (HL3453, HL3455 and HL3456), whether any of the 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service have any impact in Scotland; and whether any joint protocol has been established between police and prosecution services in England and Wales and in Scotland.

The Government is committed to tackling female genital mutilation (FGM). The multi-agency practice guidelines on FGM are designed for application in England
and Wales. The guidelines include a weblink to information on the Scottish Government’s work on FGM.

The 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service apply in England and Wales only.

The 2007 and 2014 prevalence studies part-funded by the Home Office cover the number of girls and women affected by FGM in England and Wales. The full version of the 2014 study including data disaggregated at a local level in England and Wales will be published shortly.

The Government’s new specialist FGM Unit will work in consultation with partners in Scotland, as appropriate, to ensure a joined up approach to tackling FGM across the UK.