To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454), whether the new female genital mutilation unit is conducting nationwide outreach across the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales.
Answered on
9 February 2015
The Government is clear that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical
and psychological suffering to women and girls.
The Home Office has provided £100,000 through the FGM Community Engagement Initiative. The fund was open to organisations across all parts of the UK to bid for up to £10,000 to carry out community work to raise awareness of FGM amongst women already affected by FGM, young at-risk girls, as well as men in the community.
The Government’s specialist cross-Government FGM Unit launched on 5 December. The Unit will provide outreach support to local areas in England and Wales, act as a hub for effective practice, work with the police and develop cross-government policies on FGM.
The Unit does receive enquires from individuals and organisations in Scotland which are dealt with through appropriate consultation with partners in Scotland.