Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in financial support to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery offences on charities providing support services to such victims; what are their 2019 arrest and charge targets for human trafficking and modern slavery offences; and whether they are on course to meet those targets.

The Home Office provides support to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery offences through the Victim Care Contract with The Salvation Army and their twelve sub-contractors. The contract provides a comprehensive package of support, including access to safe house accommodation, outreach support, and medical care including counselling as required.

It also provides financial support through weekly subsistence payments. Following the High Court ruling last year in the case of K & AM vs SSHD, the Home Office immediately reinstated the top up paid to those in the Victim Care Contract who are also receiving support from the asylum support system, so that they receive a total of £65 per week. The Home Office has put in place a process to ensure those who have been affected by the judgement receive a back payment. We accept the court’s judgement and are considering this in our future approach to subsistence rates.

As with other crime types, the Government does not set targets for the number of arrests and charges; rather, our focus has been to improve the operational response to this complex crime, through for example, bespoke training and dedicated intelligence capabilities.