Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on implementing sections (a) 54, (b) 49 and (c) 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; and if she will make a statement.

The majority of the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have now commenced. Section 54 came into force on 29 October 2015 and thousands of slavery and human trafficking statements have been published since. Interim guidance for frontline staff has already been published and we will consult with stakeholders on statutory guidance required under Section 49 prior to publication. Both this guidance and the question of exercising section 50 of the Act are under active consideration as part of the reform of the National Referral Mechanism.