Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish guidance about identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking as required under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government recognises that publishing statutory guidance under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is important in ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives.
We aim to publish the guidance as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government since 30 January 2017 what percentage of children stopped receiving support from an independent guardian because they had turned 18 years old; and how many of those stopped receiving such support within 18 months of it starting.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Last year, the Government successfully rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) in one third of local authorities in England and Wales.
In July 2019, the Home Office published an evaluation of ICTGs in early adopter sites, conducted in collaboration with the University of Bedfordshire. The evaluation considered the added value of the ICTG service. It found that 21% of children left the service, from the period of February 2017 to January 2019, because they turned 18. This was the main reason why children left the service. Whilst ICTGs can work with a child for up to 18 months, the evaluation found that the average length of time a child spent in the service was six months. The evaluation can be viewed online via the following link:
The Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service later this year.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have been made in each financial year since the passing of that Act; how many victims have received compensation as a result of those reparation orders; and what was the (1) total, and (2) average, amount of those compensation awards.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Data centrally held by the Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service records reparation orders issued as part of a community sentence and does not separately identify slavery and trafficking reparation orders issued under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The latest available data on community sentences up to 2018 can be found at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx
The Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, which took place during 2018/19 examined the effectiveness of this provision and the compensation awarded to victims. The Reviewers recommended that this compensation should be at the forefront of the Court’s mind.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have been made in each year since the passing of the Act; how many victims have received compensation as a result of those reparation orders; and what was the (1) total, and (2) average, amount of those compensation awards.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
To the end of the calendar year 2017, the latest period of data that is available shows that no slavery, trafficking and reparation orders have been made.
We are currently using the review of the Modern Slavery Act to assess the effectiveness of these powers.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates scheme will continue to operate in the early adopter sites of Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales beyond 31 January 2019; and if so, what additional funding has been provided in respect of the continuation of the scheme in those areas.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Independent Child Trafficking Advocates provision will continue to operate in the early adopter sites in Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales up until the end of March 2020
We have invested an additional £2m to expand the ICTA provision into West Midlands, East Midlands and Croydon. This will mean the service will be available in one third of all local authorities by April 2019.
Together with our existing and valuable early adopter sites (Greater Manchester, Hampshire, and nationally in Wales), the new sites will help us to test and revise the ICTA service to ensure we have the right model for national roll-out.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average length of time taken to make (1) a reasonable grounds decision, and (2) a conclusive grounds decision, for a child referred to the National Referral Mechanism as a potential victim of modern slavery.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data but does not publish data about the timescales for reaching reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decisions by either UKVI or the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit in the NCA.
The NCA does not publish data regarding the age of potential victims when an NRM decision is made, only whether they were an adult or child at the time when the exploitation took place.
Latest statistics on NRM referrals and decisions are available at the following link: http://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics/2018-nrm-statistics
Further information is also available in the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery which was published on 18 October 2018.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 November (HL10891), (1) how many young people who turn 18 while awaiting a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decision have been transitioned into services for adult potential victims under the Victim Care Contract provided by the Salvation Army, (2) how many of these young people have entered the adult support services on leaving the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service, and (3) if this information is not currently available, whether they will instruct the ICTA service and the Salvation Army to collect data on the number of young people entering adult support services having been referred to the NRM as a child but still awaiting a decision and specifically the number of referrals made from the ICTA service to the Salvation Army.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Information on the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service and children who exited support can be found in the Interim Report published by the Home Office in July, and the accompanying data tables on Gov.UK.
On turning 18, any young person who is awaiting an NRM decision, becomes eligible for support from The Salvation Army through the Victim Care Contract. It is part of the ICTA’s role to ensure they effectively transition children turning 18 into appropriate support upon leaving the ICTA service. This can include services procured through The Salvation Army and a range of locally provided adult services. The transition of children out of the ICTA service, including when a child turns 18, is being examined as part of the next phase of the assessment of the ICTA service in early adopter sites and will form part of the final report, to be published in Spring 2019.
The Government has also commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which is examining section 48 of the Act, which provides for ICTAs.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 November (HL10891), whether they will instruct the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate service to collect data on the status of a child's National Referral Mechanism referral at the point the child leaves the service so that the data can be anonymised and analysed.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Information on the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service and children who exited support can be found in the Interim Report published by the Home Office in July, and the accompanying data tables on Gov.UK.
On turning 18, any young person who is awaiting an NRM decision, becomes eligible for support from The Salvation Army through the Victim Care Contract. It is part of the ICTA’s role to ensure they effectively transition children turning 18 into appropriate support upon leaving the ICTA service. This can include services procured through The Salvation Army and a range of locally provided adult services. The transition of children out of the ICTA service, including when a child turns 18, is being examined as part of the next phase of the assessment of the ICTA service in early adopter sites and will form part of the final report, to be published in Spring 2019.
The Government has also commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which is examining section 48 of the Act, which provides for ICTAs.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to provide ongoing specialist support to young people in any period between leaving the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate scheme at 18 years old and receiving a conclusive grounds decision under the National Referral Mechanism.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
From January 2017 to January 2018, 12 children exited the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service because they turned 18. The data collected by the Home Office is anonymised for evaluation purposes. It is therefore not possible to cross-reference this with decision-making data from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). More information on the ICTA service and children who exited support can be found in the Interim Report published by the Home Office in July, and the accompanying data tables on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-assessment-of-independent-child-trafficking-advocates-interim-findings
On turning 18, any young person who is awaiting an NRM decision, becomes eligible for support from The Salvation Army through the Victim Care Contract. This includes outreach and accommodation support where necessary. We are currently preparing to retender this contact which will be operational from 1 April 2020 and will include drop in services for up to 6 months post-conclusive grounds decision. It is part of the ICTA’s role to ensure they effectively transition children turning 18 into appropriate support upon leaving the ICTA service.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of children who were exited from the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate service because they had turned 18 years old did so before receiving a conclusive grounds decision under the National Referral Mechanism from 30 January 2017 to date.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
From January 2017 to January 2018, 12 children exited the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service because they turned 18. The data collected by the Home Office is anonymised for evaluation purposes. It is therefore not possible to cross-reference this with decision-making data from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). More information on the ICTA service and children who exited support can be found in the Interim Report published by the Home Office in July, and the accompanying data tables on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-assessment-of-independent-child-trafficking-advocates-interim-findings
On turning 18, any young person who is awaiting an NRM decision, becomes eligible for support from The Salvation Army through the Victim Care Contract. This includes outreach and accommodation support where necessary. We are currently preparing to retender this contact which will be operational from 1 April 2020 and will include drop in services for up to 6 months post-conclusive grounds decision. It is part of the ICTA’s role to ensure they effectively transition children turning 18 into appropriate support upon leaving the ICTA service.