Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2016 to Question 52971, if he will urge the UK diplomatic representative to Burkina Faso to make representations on the practice of female genital mutilation to the government of Burkina Faso.

Female Genital Mutilation is a high priority for the UK and we will continue to work with governments and partners to end the abusive practice. DFID leads our international efforts on FGM and it is raised by our Heads of Missions, officials and visiting Ministers. We will continue to do this, including in the countries raised.

We also work closely with international partners, including the EU and UN, especially in countries where we do not have an Embassy, to press governments to prevent FGM. Supported by UK funding, the UN Joint Programme on FGM and cutting has led coordinated efforts to influence national policy and legislation in 17 high prevalence countries.