Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that clinics in London are offering surgery to "restore" women's virginity.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers, including surgery clinics, in England. Any provider of surgery, including hymenoplasty, must register with the CQC and meet its fundamental standards of safety and quality – or risk enforcement action. All medical professionals have a duty of care to their patients and must always take into account a patient’s vulnerability or psychological needs before offering treatment, according to the General Medical Council’s ethical standards.

Pressuring a female partner or family member into undergoing any surgical procedures which they do not want is unacceptable. The Government is committed to challenging cultural attitudes that underpin these behaviours, as set out in the cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published in 2016.