Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the creation of the offence of illegal working on her Department's ability to (a) identify and support victims of and (b) prevent trafficking and modern slavery.

There is no evidence that the creation of the new offence of working illegally has prevented the identification of and provision of assistance to victims of modern slavery and the prevention of trafficking. The new offence has strengthened the ability of the UK to deal with those who break our immigration laws for economic benefit by working illegally in the country.