Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to help ensure that visits and fundraising undertaken by UK schools and faith groups to overseas orphanages do not increase the risk of trafficking and exploitation of children in those orphanages.

​Her Majesty's Government is concerned about reports of the growth of unregistered, unlicensed and unmonitored orphanages overseas, where the risk of exploitation is high. Any UK organisations who are involved in fundraising efforts for overseas institutions should rigorously check with local authorities in the relevant country as to whether the institutions are registered. We are considering how our Embassies and High Commissions can facilitate contact between UK organisations and local authorities, including through Travel Advice. They also take account of sensibilities around faith-group involvement in such work