To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to police officers on tackling and prosecuting instances of female genital mutilation.

Police guidance and training on investigating domestic abuse already includes dealing with cases of female genital mutilation (FGM). Our cross-Government Action Plan, published in March 2013, sets out our clear commitment to work on further guidance and learning programmes for the police on sexual and domestic violence, including FGM, forced marriage, 'honour' based violence (HBV) and stalking.

The Government has also recently reviewed its Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines on FGM, originally published in February 2011, for front-line professionals such as teachers, GPs, nurses and police. The guidelines aim to raise awareness of FGM, highlight the risks that people should be aware of and set out clearly the steps that should be taken to safeguard children and women from this abuse. They are a key development in preventing girls from being harmed by FGM.