To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) hospital admissions and (b) deaths arising from female genital mutilation in each of the last three years. (211047)

‘A Statistical Study to Estimate the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in England and Wales’, funded by this Department, was published by Forward in October 2007. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Library.

Data about the numbers of girls and women admitted to hospital or killed as a result of this crime are not available centrally.

Note:

Type III FGM is described as excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation). Type II FGM is described as excision of the clitoris with partial or total removal of the labia minora.