Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable children from human trafficking.

The trafficking of children is an appalling crime. Where children are found to be victims of modern slavery or trafficking the Government is committed to protecting their safety and welfare.

Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area including child victims of modern slavery. Local children's services will work in close co-operation with the police and other statutory agencies to offer potentially trafficked children the support they require.

Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs), recently renamed from Independent Child Trafficking Advocates, are additional to this statutory support and are an independent source of advice for trafficked children and somebody who can speak up on their behalf.

This year, the Government has successfully rolled out ICTGs to one third of all local authorities in England and Wales. Where the service is available, all children that are potential victims of trafficking are eligible for support.

Government has welcomed the findings of the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which included a specific set of recommendations relating the wider roll out of ICTGs. In-line with the Government’s response, published in July 2019, we are currently considering the Review’s recommendations on ICTGs and will provide a further update to Parliament ahead of national roll out.