Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sarian Kamara is determined her daughter will not be subjected to female genital mutilation, as Naomi Grimley reports

The failure to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM) is a "national scandal" with as many as 170,000 victims in the UK, MPs have said.

Failures by ministers, police and other agencies have led to the "preventable mutilation of thousands of girls", the Home Affairs Committee said.

It blamed a "misplaced concern for cultural sensitivities" for inaction, and called for a national action plan.

The government said it was working to end "this terrible form of abuse".

The report called for greater anonymity for victims and protection orders to prevent girls from being taken abroad.

Female genital mutilation

Includes "the partial or total removal of the female external genitaliaor other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons"

Practised in 29 countries in Africa and some countries in Asia and the Middle East

An estimated three million girls and women worldwide are at risk each year

About 125 million victims estimated to be living with the consequences

It is commonly carried out on young girls, often between infancy and the age of 15

Often motivated by beliefs about what is considered proper sexual behaviour, to prepare a girl or woman for adulthood and marriage and to ensure "pure femininity"

Dangers include severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections, infertility and increased risk of newborn deaths in childbirth

In December 2012, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution calling for all member states to ban the practice

Source: World Health Organization

An estimated 65,000 girls under the