Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of the use of the powers contained within the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 on combating modern slavery and supporting the objectives of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Modern slavery is a barbaric crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies and prosecution services to strengthen the operational response, to ensure we use every tool to pursue perpetrators and that victims are supported to recover from this horrendous abuse.

The Home Office Bulletin on Asset Recovery enables us to review how the powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are being utilised by law enforcement in modern slavery cases.

The value obtained from orders in modern slavery cases can fluctuate depending on the specifics of each case and the criminal proceeds involved. There has been a consistent upward trend in the imposition of confiscation orders since the financial year 2021, however, we recognise more can be done to disrupt criminal enterprises and support victims of modern slavery through compensation.

That is why a key part of the Government’s work with the police and criminal justice partners is to encourage the use of financial investigations at the earliest opportunity in modern slavery cases. Through the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit (MSOIC), funded by the Home Office, guidance and training has been delivered to forces to both enhance understanding of modern slavery among financial investigators, and to support Senior Investigating Officers’ use of financial investigation techniques.

Alongside this work, the National Crime Agency is also working with the banking sector through the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce to identify red flags in financial transactions and alert these to the authorities.

During Anti-Slavery week last October, the Safeguarding Minister hosted roundtables with law enforcement agencies, criminal justice partners and Non-Government Organisations to get a better shared understanding of the criminal justice challenges. Over the next year, the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit will lead work to develop a national framework for the investigation of modern slavery, to support police forces to secure better criminal justice outcomes, including through increased use of asset recovery powers.