Government Response to Female Genital Mutilation report published
1 December 2016
The Home Office publishes the Government Response to the Home Affairs Committee's report 'Female genital mutilation: abuse unchecked'.
- Female Genital Mutilation: abuse unchecked: Government response to the Ninth Report from the Home Affairs Committee (Session 2016–17)
- Inquiry: Female Genital Mutilation: abuse unchecked
- Home Affairs Committee
The Response has been published as a Command Paper (Cm 9375).
Background
The Home Affairs Committee published its report on 'Female genital mutilation: abuse unchecked' on 15 September 2016.
- Report: Female Genital Mutilation: abuse unchecked
- Report: Female Genital Mutilation: abuse unchecked (PDF 419 KB)
Chair's comment
Responding to the Government's response to the Home Affairs Select Committee report on FGM, Committee Chair Yvette Cooper MP said:
“There has still not been a single successful FGM prosecution in the UK since it was made illegal over 30 years ago. Other European countries have been far more effective in prosecuting this form of child abuse – the UK trails behind them in bringing those who perpetrate FGM to justice and we must do more.
“And the Government needs to urgently drop its resistance to compulsory sex and relationship education. The Home Affairs Select Committee report recommended making PSHE compulsory because age appropriate sex and relationship education in schools can prevent abuse. The government should just get on with it - they have been resisting this basic measure for far too long and that is letting children and young women down.
“We welcome the practical measures the Government is taking to ensure frontline healthcare professionals record cases of FGM, but stronger sanctions are needed for those professionals who fail to report new cases to the police. And we need to make far more progress in understanding the prevalence of this in the UK.”
Further information
Image: iStockphoto