Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the article entitled Premier League to question clubs over trafficking, published by the Times on 23 April 2018, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of child trafficking within the supply chains of Premier League football clubs; and what steps the Government is taking to tackle modern slavery in sport supply chains.

The threat of modern slavery and human trafficking is assessed by the National Crime Agency on a regular basis to inform the National Strategic Assessment. There has not been a specific assessment of the level of risk of child trafficking within the supply chains of Premier League football clubs.

Through the Transparency in Supply Chains provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 the Government has introduced a requirement for large businesses, including Premier League football clubs, to publish an annual statement setting out the steps they are taking to prevent and tackle modern slavery in their supply chains. We are currently considering what more can be done on a sector by sector basis to ensure that businesses are taking serious steps to prevent modern slavery.

The Government recognises that child victims of modern slavery and trafficking are particularly vulnerable and has committed to the full national roll out of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates as well as allocating £2.2m from the Child Trafficking Protection Fund to deliver tailored support for victims of child trafficking.