Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals for her Department to take responsibility for the care and accommodation of trafficked children.

Trafficked children are some of the most vulnerable children in the country.

It is in the best interests of the child that the social care professional responsible for making decisions relating to the care of the child, should be familiar with the area and able to access other local services, including those the local authority are already responsible for.

Keeping responsibility at a local level enables and empowers professionals from police, education, health, housing and special educational needs provision to work together to assess the child’s needs and regularly review the child’s care.

The Government has made improvements to the care and protection of trafficked children, including setting a clear expectation that placement decisions should take particular account of protecting the child from any continued risk from traffickers and from a heightened risk of going missing through statutory guidance, launching a Child Trafficking Protection Fund of up to £3m and committing to the roll out Independent Child Trafficking Advocates.