Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support local authorities to develop interventions to safeguard against female genital mutilation.
Data on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is collected in the FGM Enhanced Dataset by National Health Service healthcare providers in England. This dataset presents a national picture of the prevalence of FGM in England and supports work in the NHS to prevent and treat FGM. It is therefore a valuable information source supporting the identification, commissioning and management of FGM services locally.
The Home Office’s FGM Team provides a range of resources for frontline professionals. This consists of an FGM resource pack, which includes a section for local authorities, a free e-learning course, statutory multi-agency guidance and a range of communications materials.