HL Deb 17 May 2004 vol 661 c59WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What means they are using to ensure that the new criminal offence of taking a girl to another country for the purposes of genital mutilation is made known as widely as possible in this country. [HL2473]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

The Home Office has issued a circular about the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 to police forces and others in the criminal justice system; the Department of Health has placed articles about it in medical publications which will reach doctors and midwives throughout the country; and the Department for Education and Skills has issued guidance to social services.

The Government are also funding some of the voluntary organisations that are active in seeking to eradicate female genital mutilation in this country specifically to take forward a programme of awareness-raising activities about the Act in the practising communities. One of the organisations concerned, the Agency for Culture and Change Management, has organised some conferences to promote the Act at which myself and my honourable friend Paul Goggins will be speaking.