Norman Baker Politician

Norman John Baker PC (born 26 July 1957) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes in East Sussex since 1997.On 7 October 2013, Baker was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office in the Coalition Government. In December of that year it was reported that Baker had encouraged the Director of Public Prosecutions to reopen or reconsider six cases involving female genital mutilation, as forbidden by the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985. There had been a law on the books since 1985, but there had been no prosecution until February 2014, when it was announced that the first was scheduled soon thereafter. It was estimated that 170,000 women had been subject to the assault until then. A doctor was the first person charged with an offence contrary to the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in March 2014. Baker resigned from his role as Minister for the Home Office on 3 November 2014.