Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the publication of (a) academic and (b) professional material that (i) reframes and (ii) recharacterises female genital mutilation on the effective enforcement of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is clearly and accurately defined in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. It is a crime, it is child abuse, and it can destroy lives. On Thursday 18 December, we published the VAWG Strategy setting out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including on FGM.
It is important that we recognise FGM for what it is. It is a procedure that causes irreversible harm where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. It is a very traumatic and violent act and can cause lifelong physical and psychological suffering. The Government’s approach to tackling FGM is focused on preventing these crimes from happening, supporting and protecting survivors and those at risk, and bringing perpetrators to justice. We are clear that we must engage with the specialist sector, and most importantly, engage with those directly affected to ensure we keep victims and survivors at the forefront of our work. This is why we are launching a community engagement campaign to raise awareness of the different types of ‘honour’-based abuse including FGM, and to encourage people to come forward for support.
The FGM Act 2003 introduced several measures which demonstrate that FGM is treated as a serious criminal offence and ensure its effectiveness. For example, acknowledging the international and multiple perpetration elements of FGM, the Act created offences for assisting others to perform FGM, including extraterritorial cases.
Regarding enforcement, the Act increased the maximum penalty for committing FGM from 5 years to 14 years imprisonment, reflecting the severity of this crime.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of alternative terminology for female genital mutilation in professional and academic contexts on the application of existing criminal law.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is clearly and accurately defined in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. It is a crime, it is child abuse, and it can destroy lives. On Thursday 18 December, we published the VAWG Strategy setting out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including on FGM.
It is important that we recognise FGM for what it is. It is a procedure that causes irreversible harm where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. It is a very traumatic and violent act and can cause lifelong physical and psychological suffering. The Government’s approach to tackling FGM is focused on preventing these crimes from happening, supporting and protecting survivors and those at risk, and bringing perpetrators to justice. We are clear that we must engage with the specialist sector, and most importantly, engage with those directly affected to ensure we keep victims and survivors at the forefront of our work. This is why we are launching a community engagement campaign to raise awareness of the different types of ‘honour’-based abuse including FGM, and to encourage people to come forward for support.
The FGM Act 2003 introduced several measures which demonstrate that FGM is treated as a serious criminal offence and ensure its effectiveness. For example, acknowledging the international and multiple perpetration elements of FGM, the Act created offences for assisting others to perform FGM, including extraterritorial cases.
Regarding enforcement, the Act increased the maximum penalty for committing FGM from 5 years to 14 years imprisonment, reflecting the severity of this crime.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in ensuring that female genital mutilation is treated as a serious criminal offence.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is clearly and accurately defined in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. It is a crime, it is child abuse, and it can destroy lives. On Thursday 18 December, we published the VAWG Strategy setting out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including on FGM.
It is important that we recognise FGM for what it is. It is a procedure that causes irreversible harm where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. It is a very traumatic and violent act and can cause lifelong physical and psychological suffering. The Government’s approach to tackling FGM is focused on preventing these crimes from happening, supporting and protecting survivors and those at risk, and bringing perpetrators to justice. We are clear that we must engage with the specialist sector, and most importantly, engage with those directly affected to ensure we keep victims and survivors at the forefront of our work. This is why we are launching a community engagement campaign to raise awareness of the different types of ‘honour’-based abuse including FGM, and to encourage people to come forward for support.
The FGM Act 2003 introduced several measures which demonstrate that FGM is treated as a serious criminal offence and ensure its effectiveness. For example, acknowledging the international and multiple perpetration elements of FGM, the Act created offences for assisting others to perform FGM, including extraterritorial cases.
Regarding enforcement, the Act increased the maximum penalty for committing FGM from 5 years to 14 years imprisonment, reflecting the severity of this crime.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the 43 police forces in England and Wales do not currently have specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Rape and sexual offences are amongst the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities. Therefore, it is essential that every police force has the right specialist capability to properly investigate these crimes and to deliver justice for victims.
The Home Office’s assessment is that half of the forces in England and Wales do not have a specialist rape and sexual offence team. However, we are committed to ensuring that by the end of this parliament every police force has one.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for the implementation of the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In April, the Government published the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update setting out the action we are taking on the IICSA recommendations, and we are delivering on those commitments.
For example, we have this month published a consultation on proposals for a new Child Protection Authority, to improve national oversight and consistency of child protection practice, and we have introduced stronger vetting checks for adults working with children. We have also announced up to £50 million funding to expand the Child House model of support for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This a significant step in delivering against IICSA’s recommendation on improving the provision of specialised therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse.
Several measures in the Crime and Policing Bill will also directly address IICSA’s recommendations, including a new mandatory duty to report sexual abuse for individuals in England undertaking activity with children and the removal of the three-year limitation period for victims and survivors to bring child sexual abuse claims in the civil court.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed new earnings requirement for settlement on British children in families where one parent is a non-UK national with primary caring responsibilities.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government will consider assessing household income rather than individual income when determining eligibility for settlement under the proposed contribution-based requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what evidential basis it is her policy that minimum individual earnings should determine eligibility for settlement, including for applicants with no access to public funds.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed minimum earnings requirement for settlement applications will apply to family migration routes, including partners and spouses of British citizens.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.
However, the May 2025 Immigration White Paper and the command paper accompanying the current consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, have both already committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British citizens.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions for modern slavery offences have been brought in the past five years; and what measures are in place to improve victim identification and access to justice.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.
The data on the number of modern slavery prosecutions is published by the Crown Prosecution Service and the available data shows that between 2019 and 2024 there were:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Convictions | 251 | 197 | 332 | 282 | 311 | 353 |
Non-convictions | 98 | 70 | 134 | 123 | 99 | 101 |
Total prosecuted | 349 | 267 | 466 | 405 | 410 | 454 |
The National Police Chief Council Lead for modern slavery is developing a national investigations framework to strengthen police forces’ ability to identify, disrupt and bring to justice the perpetrators behind this crime.
The Home Office has also committed to reviewing the modern slavery system in the Restoring Order and Control Statement to ensure that we have the right protections for those who need it. This will build on the responses we received to a Call for Evidence on the victim identification system which closed in October. The Home Office is now analysing the responses received and we will consider the evidence gathered to explore any further changes that could be made to improve the identification of victims.
Furthermore, potential victims of modern slavery with a positive Reasonable or Conclusive Grounds decision have access to legal aid, this includes criminal and civil legal aid, legal aid for immigration advice, advice on an asylum claim, employment law advice and for a civil claim of damages.