Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that more than 50 per cent of pubescent girls under 10 in Cameroon are subjected to "breast ironing", what steps they are taking to prevent the spread of that practice among the Cameroonian diaspora living in the UK.

As set out in the Government’s new Violence against Women and Girls Strategy, we will continue to challenge the cultural attitudes that may underpin harmful practices, and ensure professionals have the confidence to confront these issues, safeguard victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

We are clear that political or cultural sensitivities must not get in the way of preventing and uncovering brutal practices, including breast ironing. Where breast ironing is practised on girls it is child abuse and should be treated as such by all frontline professionals. The clear legal frameworks that apply to child abuse apply to breast ironing.