Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the low rate of prosecutions under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and (2) the need for more effective enforcement.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and bringing the individuals responsible to justice. Modern slavery is a complex and multi-faceted crime, and offenders can often be prosecuted or convicted for offences under different legislation.

There has been a continued uplift in law enforcement activity since the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) was passed in 2015, which has led to a significant increase in the number of live police modern slavery operations, from 188 in December 2016 to at least 3,555 in December 2022. This has also had an impact on prosecutions with an increase from 267 in 2020 to 466 in 2021.

We are continuing to invest in the police to support them to improve the response to modern slavery in England and Wales to drive-up prosecutions and build trust with victims. A total of £16.5m has been provided by the Home Office since 2016, including £1.4m in 2022-23 to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit.