Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

I am not aware of any recent cases of female genital mutilation being reported in Northern Ireland.

Female genital mutilation is a horrific form of child abuse and violence against women and girls, and the Northern Ireland Executive has put in place a number of safeguarding structures, policies and procedures designed to protect females.

The Civil Law Reform division of the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance & Personnel consulted on draft multi-agency practice guidelines on female genital mutilation earlier this year which were based on the Home Office’s Guidelines.