Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have an independent child trafficking guardian.

Last year, the Government successfully expanded Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to one third of local authorities.

An evaluation of the ICTG service within the early adopter sites was published in July 2019 and can be found https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819723/evaluation-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-final-horr111.pdf.

This evaluation was conducted on the service provided in the three initial sites of Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales between February 2017 and January 2019. Over this time period, 445 children were referred to the ICTG service.

Later this year the Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service, which will provide further updates on outcomes of the service including the number of children it supports.