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<p>Female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage are terrible forms of abuse,
and this Government is clear that we will not allow political or cultural sensitivities
to get in the way of tackling them. Work to put a stop to these crimes is an integral
part of our cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, published
in 2016.</p><p>Data on FGM includes a 2015 City University and Equality Now study,
part funded by the Home Office, which estimated that 137,000 women and girls who had
migrated to England and Wales were living with the consequences of FGM, and approximately
60,000 girls aged 0-14 were born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone
FGM. The study also provides a breakdown of FGM prevalence estimates by local authority
area which is available online at <a href="http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/12382/" target="_blank">http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/12382/</a>.</p><p>In
addition, NHS digital publishes data on the prevalence of FGM within the NHS in England.
The most recent quarterly and annual statistics were published in June and July 2018
respectively. A detailed breakdown of these statistics, including by local authority
and age, is available online at <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/female-genital-mutilation."
target="_blank">https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/female-genital-mutilation.</a></p><p>The
joint Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU)
operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims, those at risk,
and professionals. Statistics on the number of cases dealt with by the FMU, including
a breakdown by region and age, are published annually and available online at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage#statistics-on-forced-marriage-collected-by-fmu"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage#statistics-on-forced-marriage-collected-by-fmu</a>
. A further breakdown of this information (e.g. by London borough) is not collated
centrally.</p>
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