Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) accessibility of legal aid for victims of human trafficking and (b) number of matter starts available for victims to pursue compensation and immigration claims.

Victims of human trafficking can apply for civil legal aid for advice and representation in relation to immigration matters and for damages and employment claims arising from their trafficking exploitation. Through provisions in the Modern Slavery Bill, victims of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour will also be eligible for civil legal aid in the same situations.

The recent review of the National Referral Mechanism recommended that legal aid should be available from the point of referral. The Government has committed to piloting a range of changes to the National Referral Mechanism in light of recommendations made by the review, which will include the provision of legal aid at this earlier point.

'Matter starts' are the mechanism used by the Legal Aid Agency to monitor the amount of work conducted by its legal aid providers and do not limit legal aid availability for applicants. Where they are eligible, victims of human trafficking will always be able to access legal aid.