§ Ms McCaffertyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to promote health education among groups affected by the practice of female genital mutilation. [119190]
§ Yvette CooperEducation is central to eradicating the brutal practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). We fund a range of educational projects in Britain. This year we have awarded the London Black Women's Health Action Project a section 64 project grant of £25,000 for 1999–2000 for their training and resource project. This project aims to educate and raise awareness of FGM among healthcare providers, facilitate training of trainers programmes and seminars, and to produce and disseminate educational materials.
The Department also provides financial support to FORWARD, the leading voluntary organisation on this issue, through the section 64 grants scheme. This support includes core grant funding of £25,000 for 1999–2000 to 2001–02, to help meet the organisation's running costs. Over the last few years, the Department has provided funds totalling nearly 280,000 for projects developed by FORWARD in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the Department for International Development has committed over £200,000 for two projects in which FORWARD are involved in Nigeria and The Gambia.
The sexual health strategy currently being developed will be looking at health promotion needs including those of particular cultural groups.
§ Ms McCaffertyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 is enforced. [119188]
§ Yvette CooperThe Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 makes it an offence to carry out the procedures known as female circumcision. It also makes it an offence for anyone to aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of these procedures by any other person on her own body.
There have been no prosecutions under the Act since it came into force. The lack of prosecutions for this offence is only because of the small number of complaints made to the police and the difficulty of obtaining evidence where a complaint is made. Encouraging the education of professionals and practising communities is a more effective tool for eradicating female genital mutilation.
§ Ms McCaffertyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to prevent young girls being taken out of the country for the purpose of female genital mutilation. [119189]
§ Yvette CooperThe Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 makes the procedure of female genital mutilation (FGM) illegal. As well as this Act, legal protection for girls is also provided by the Children Act 1989. If a local authority has reason to believe that a child is likely to suffer significant harm, it is obliged to make such inquiries as it considers necessary to enable it to decide whether it should take any action to safeguard or promote the child's welfare. Under the Act, a Prohibited Steps Order can be made to prevent parents carrying out 321W a particular act without the consent of the Court (eg removing the child from the United Kingdom so that mutilation can be carried out abroad).
Further protection is offered under the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998. This Act makes it an offence for a person to conspire to commit an offence outside the United Kingdom, provided the substantive offence constitutes an offence both under the law in the UK and under the law in the country in which the act is committed. Therefore if parents take their daughters abroad to have them mutilated this would be an offence if FGM is also an offence in the country to which they are travelling.