Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting all survivors of modern slavery rights to education through the National Referral Mechanism.

The Home Office is responsible for setting criteria used by the National Referral Mechanism, in identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery. The Department for Education is responsible for setting the criteria for accessing 16-19 and adult (19+) education funding based on education policy. These criteria are set out in funding rules, which further education providers refer to when assessing eligibility. Depending on individual circumstances, some survivors of modern slavery may meet the eligible criteria and are therefore able to access further education. Officials keep these rules under review. All children of compulsory school age in the UK, including those freed from modern slavery, are able to access an English state-school.