Ukip has announced plans for mandatory annual medical checks for girls in “at-risk minority” groups. Commenting on the plan, Lynne Featherstone, who has campaigned on this issue and was Home Office Minister, said:

“UKIP’s approach is horrifically heavy-handed and will alienate the very communities we are trying to reach out to. We should be training our teachers and other providers such as community experts to identify those at risk and teaching children themselves that FGM is wrong and to come forward if they fear for themselves or a friend.

“In Coalition, we put a statutory duty on frontline workers to report concerns of FGM – we need them to have the confidence to do so, and this means better training. Research shows that school teachers are still too scared to talk about FGM, honour-based violence and forced marriage, let alone report it. This is where we should concentrate our efforts not forcing girls to undergo invasive medical examinations.

“UKIP seem to try and out-do Le Pen with right-wing policies that are insensitive and frankly outrageous.”