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169068

registered interest
date	09/12/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Marriage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect girls who come to the United Kingdom already in under-age marriages.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>Local authorities, with the help of other organisations as appropriate, have a duty to make enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. A belief that a girl may have been involved in an under-age marriage should lead to such an assessment.</p><p>Where a local authority encounters concerns about a child’s welfare that constitute, or may constitute, an offence against a child, social workers should discuss the case with the police at the earliest opportunity. Offences may have been committed by the girl’s parents, or by her ‘husband’. Legislation that came into force earlier in 2014 means that forced marriage is now a criminal offence.</p><p>Statutory guidance on multi-agency working to safeguard children from harm is contained in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’,[1] which the Government published in 2013 and updated in June 2014. Statutory guidance and multi-agency practice guidelines on forced marriage,[2] also updated in June 2014, provides information and advice for all relevant services, including schools, who are advised to make referrals to children’s social care or the police if they have any concerns about a girl being affected by forced marriage.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/281368/Working_together_to_safeguard_children.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/281368/Working_together_to_safeguard_children.pdf</a></p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/forced-marriage" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/forced-marriage</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 16/12/2014 16:31:19 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168459

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Honour Based Violence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure uniform police reporting, in forces across the United Kingdom, of honour killings.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.</p><p>While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.</p><p>To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.</p><p>Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with</p><p>the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3490 HL3491 HL3492 question first answered 22/12/2014 14:53:34 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168460

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Honour Based Violence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens are the victims of honour killings each year.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3490
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.</p><p>While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.</p><p>To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.</p><p>Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with</p><p>the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3489 HL3491 HL3492 question first answered 22/12/2014 14:53:34 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168461

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Honour Based Violence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3491
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.</p><p>While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.</p><p>To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.</p><p>Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with</p><p>the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3489 HL3490 HL3492 question first answered 22/12/2014 14:53:34 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168462

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Honour Based Violence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the safety of those who testify against their relatives in honour killing cases can be better protected.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.</p><p>While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.</p><p>To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.</p><p>Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with</p><p>the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3489 HL3490 HL3491 question first answered 22/12/2014 14:53:34 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168463

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Forced Marriage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they collect data on the number of British girls sent abroad to marry each year; and if they do not collect such data, what they are doing to assess the scale of such activity.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3493
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2015 answer text <p>The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) was established in 2005 to lead on the government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. The FMU operates both inside the UK, <br>where support is provided to any individual, and overseas, where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals. In 2013, the FMU gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage in 1302 cases. <br><br>It should be noted that cases include people or groups of people thought to be at potential risk of future forced marriage, those currently going through a forced marriage and <br>those who have already been forced to marry. This statistic includes all initial contacts with the FMU via the helpline or by email relating to a new case.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 09/01/2015 13:37:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

168464

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Forced Marriage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will clarify the role of teachers in monitoring girls at risk of being forced into under-age marriage.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>All school staff have a responsibility to identify children who may be in need of extra help or who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. All staff then have a responsibility to take appropriate action, working with other services as required. Those responsibilities, which apply to the risk of forced marriage as to any other form of abuse, are set out in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance for schools and their staff which the Government published in April 2014.[1]</p><p>The statutory guidance contains links to more detailed guidance on specific risks, including multi-Agency guidelines on forced marriage.[2] The chapter of those guidelines which focuses on schools, colleges and universities indicates: what teachers should look out for, such as changes in behaviour or attendance or the early marriage of a sibling; how they can support girls, by giving access to support and advice; and what they should do if they suspect a girl is being forced into marriage, including activating local child protection procedures.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education</a></p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322307/HMG_MULTI_AGENCY_PRACTICE_GUIDELINES_v1_180614_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322307/HMG_MULTI_AGENCY_PRACTICE_GUIDELINES_v1_180614_FINAL.pdf</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 10/12/2014 17:11:53 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

167928

registered interest
date	04/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Female Genital Mutilation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure better co-ordination of guidance given to medical practitioners, teachers, and faith leaders on reporting and protecting girls from female genital mutilation.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3452
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>At the Girl Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister, in July 2014, the Government set out a clear commitment to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and announced a comprehensive package of domestic measures to achieve this. The Government published update multi-agency guidelines to support better co-ordination of guidance on protecting girls from FGM. On 5 December the Government published a public consultation which seeks views on how to put these guidelines on a statutory basis to increase awareness of FGM and improve compliance with good practice.</p><p>The Government also set out a range of measures to improve the law enforcement response and increase prosecution rates for FGM including the introduction of new legislation, the publication of new police guidance on FGM, and a review by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary into ‘so called’ honour based violence with a focus on FGM to commence in 2015. In addition, 42 forces have signed joint protocols with the Crown Prosecution Service on the investigation and prosecution of FGM, and the Government published a consultation on 5 December on how to introduce a mandatory reporting duty to increase referrals to the police in order to support more prosecutions.</p><p>A prevalence study on FGM was also published by Equality Now and City University on 22 July, part-funded by the Home Office, identifying that approximately 60, 000 girls aged 0-14 have been born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone FGM. Further data disaggregated to a local level will be published in early 2015. In addition, the Health and Social Care Information Centre published the first ever NHS FGM data on 16 October. This is a critical first step in understanding the extent of FGM in England as reported to health professionals.</p><p>The Government works in close partnership with stakeholders in reviewing peer studies on FGM, and is committed to identifying and sharing good practice. On 22 July, the Government published a FGM resource pack on gov.uk including examples of good local practice in Bristol informed by the Bristol Peer study.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3453 HL3455 HL3456 question first answered 19/12/2014 16:21:20 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

167929

registered interest
date	04/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Female Genital Mutilation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>At the Girl Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister, in July 2014, the Government set out a clear commitment to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and announced a comprehensive package of domestic measures to achieve this. The Government published update multi-agency guidelines to support better co-ordination of guidance on protecting girls from FGM. On 5 December the Government published a public consultation which seeks views on how to put these guidelines on a statutory basis to increase awareness of FGM and improve compliance with good practice.</p><p>The Government also set out a range of measures to improve the law enforcement response and increase prosecution rates for FGM including the introduction of new legislation, the publication of new police guidance on FGM, and a review by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary into ‘so called’ honour based violence with a focus on FGM to commence in 2015. In addition, 42 forces have signed joint protocols with the Crown Prosecution Service on the investigation and prosecution of FGM, and the Government published a consultation on 5 December on how to introduce a mandatory reporting duty to increase referrals to the police in order to support more prosecutions.</p><p>A prevalence study on FGM was also published by Equality Now and City University on 22 July, part-funded by the Home Office, identifying that approximately 60, 000 girls aged 0-14 have been born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone FGM. Further data disaggregated to a local level will be published in early 2015. In addition, the Health and Social Care Information Centre published the first ever NHS FGM data on 16 October. This is a critical first step in understanding the extent of FGM in England as reported to health professionals.</p><p>The Government works in close partnership with stakeholders in reviewing peer studies on FGM, and is committed to identifying and sharing good practice. On 22 July, the Government published a FGM resource pack on gov.uk including examples of good local practice in Bristol informed by the Bristol Peer study.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL3452 HL3455 HL3456 question first answered 19/12/2014 16:21:20 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

167930

registered interest
date	04/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Female Genital Mutilation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are resourcing the provision of training and education in communities in the United Kingdom in which female genital mutilation is practised.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL3454
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>Long-term and systematic eradication of female genital mutilation in the UK will require practising communities to abandon the practice themselves. To keep girls safe we need to work directly with local people who know what will work in their areas.</p><p> </p><p>Faith has an important role to play. At the Girl Summit we launched declarations for faith leaders to sign against female genital mutilation and forced marriage. These have now been signed by over 350 leaders from all major faiths. These declarations make it clear that no religion condones the practice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Government Equalities Office have also committed £270,000 to community projects to prevent female genital mutilation and other forms of so-called honour based violence. We recently announced the projects that successfully secured this funding. We will fund 17 community projects which include three organisations that will set up networks of community champions against female genital mutilation and forced marriage.</p><p> </p><p>Many of these projects will work with young people. Brave young women and men have been at the forefront of campaigning against female genital mutilation and their courage and determination inspire us all to do more. Videos of the projects can be found at <a href="http://www.thinglink.com/scene/597214845217013762" target="_blank">http://www.thinglink.com/scene/597214845217013762</a>.</p><p> </p><p><br>This funding is in addition to £100,000 committed by the Home Office to run a female genital mutilation community engagement initiative. The Home Office is funding 12 voluntary and community sector organisations to carry out community work to raise awareness of female genital mutilation amongst women already affected by this and young girls at-risk, as well as men in the community.</p><p> </p><p><br>On 5 December 2014 the Government also launched a new female genital mutilation unit to drive a step change in nationwide outreach on female genital mutilation with criminal justice partners, children's services, healthcare professionals and affected communities.</p><p> </p><p><br>The unit will deliver outreach support to local areas to assist them in developing their local response to tackling female genital mutilation and to raise awareness of the unit. The first phase of this work will be carried out in a series of training workshops which Forward UK are delivering to Local Safeguarding Children's Boards in high prevalence female genital mutilation areas.</p><p> </p><p><br>The unit will also offer bespoke targeted peer support to local areas who want to strengthen their ability to tackle female genital mutilation. Organisations interested in receiving peer support or an outreach presentation can email the unit at</p><p><a href="mailto:FGMenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk" target="_blank">FGMenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/01/2015 15:45:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans