Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities section 8(3), whether victims of modern slavery and human trafficking fall within the vulnerable persons category within that guidance and are considered to be in priority need for accommodation.

Modern slavery is a barbaric crime which destroys the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

A person who has been a victim of trafficking or modern slavery may have a priority need for accommodation if they are assessed as being vulnerable according to section 189(1)(c) of the 1996 Act.

As detailed in section 25(7) of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the process by which people who may be victims of modern slavery are identified and supported by the UK Government. All potential victims of modern slavery who receive a positive Reasonable Grounds decision are able to access a minimum of 45-days Victim Care Contract support during their recovery and reflection period, which includes access to safe accommodation.

We want to ensure that local areas have the tools they need to identify Modern Slavery where they see it and provide the right support to victims. That is why in the Rough Sleeping Strategy we have commissioned training for frontline staff on how best to identify and support this group. Additionally, we are piloting new approaches with six local authority areas to identify best practice in supporting victims to move out of National Referral Mechanism support and link up with local services. These measures aim to reduce the risk of destitution or re-trafficking for victims.