The law criminalising female genital mutilation is to be strengthened so the ban can be enforced against foreign nationals deemed to be "habitually resident" in the UK.

The existing Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 prevents British citizens and permanent residents from assisting or carrying out FGM abroad but cannot be used against others who live in this country but take children overseas for the procedure.

The amendment will be coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and included in the serious crime bill, which aims to tackle child neglect, disrupt serious organised crime and strengthen powers to seize the proceeds of crime.

Up to 23,000 girls under the age of 15 are thought to be at risk of FGM, which is also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting. A UK national or permanent resident found guilty of FGM faces a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment.

The justice minister, Damian Green, said: "The government is committed to tackling and preventing the harmful and unacceptable practice of female genital mutilation.

"This is why we plan to extend the extraterritorial offences in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, so that they cover habitual as well as permanent UK residents involved in offences of FGM committed abroad. Legislation alone cannot eradicate this terrible practice. But it is important that we change the law where necessary."

The change follows evidence from the Crown Prosecution Service of a small number of cases in which prosecutions for FGM committed abroad could not be brought because those involved were not permanent UK residents, as defined in the act, at the time of the offence.