Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report from the US Department of State, which concluded that the government of China continued to place ethnic Tibetans in vocational training and manufacturing jobs with elements of modern day slavery, throughout 2022.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. The report highlights evidence of forced labour in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Chinese nationals being forced to work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report from the US Department of State, which concluded that the government of China does not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, is making no significant efforts to do so, and is failing to report the identification of trafficking victims to protection services.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. The report highlights evidence of forced labour in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as Chinese nationals being forced to work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We will continue to press the Chinese authorities to uphold their human rights obligations. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised the human rights situation in Xinjiang at a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 5 May 2023.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions were undertaken of people smugglers in each of the last three years for which data are available.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office works tirelessly, with other national and international law enforcement authorities, to tackle migrant smuggling gangs who organise and profit from illegal crossings and to bring to justice the ruthless criminals behind them.
We are determined to go after the callous people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people in difficult circumstances and put them in life-threatening situations.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, for offences of people smuggling under the Immigration Act 1971, for each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland
The Immigration Act 1971 contains offences (including those created by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022) for assisting and facilitating unlawful immigration into the United Kingdom.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any data which shows the number of defendants in England and Wales charged with, prosecuted and convicted for people smuggling offences created by the Immigration Act 1971.
However, management information for England and Wales is held showing the number of offences charged by way of S25 (Assisting unlawful immigration to member State or the United Kingdom), S25A (Helping an asylum-seeker to enter United Kingdom) and S25B (Assisting entry to United Kingdom in breach of deportation or exclusion order) of the Immigration Act 1971 in which a prosecution commenced in each of the last five years. The table below shows the number of these offences to the latest available year, 2022, in England and Wales.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Immigration Act 1971 {25} | 309 | 291 | 139 | 249 | 155 |
Immigration Act 1971 {25A} | 8 | 5 | 2 | 134 | 6 |
Immigration Act 1971 {25B} | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System |
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The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data is held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, how many people have been (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, for offences of human trafficking in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, for each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no data showing the number of convictions for human trafficking offences in England and Wales under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
However, data is held showing the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted where the human trafficking monitoring flag has been applied to case records. The table below shows the number of prosecutions and convictions for defendants during each of the last five years in England and Wales.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Prosecuted | 294 | 349 | 267 | 466 | 405 |
Convicted | 191 | 251 | 197 | 332 | 282 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System | |||||
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to apprehend people smugglers operating routes into the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
This Government remains focused on doing everything we can to disrupt the people-smuggling gangs responsible for the dangerous Channel crossings. Our law enforcement agencies work tirelessly to tackle the criminal networks who facilitate people smuggling from source countries to Europe and then the UK, knowingly putting people in life-threatening situations.
Since its inception in 2015, the UK’s dedicated Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) taskforce has achieved more than 1,400 arrests (both in the UK and overseas), with suspects sentenced to more than 1,300 years in prison.
Following the Prime Minister’s commitment on 13 December to stop the dangerous small boats crossings, co-ordinated by ruthless, organised criminals. And every single journey risks the lives of women, children and - we should be honest - mostly men at sea.
That is why we are doubling the funding for the Operation Invigor. The increased funding will aim to double the number of disruptions and enforcement activity against OIC and the criminal gangs that facilitate it.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to appoint the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) as set out in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.
The Home Secretary recognises the importance of the role of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and had launched a new open competition to recruit for this role.
The role went live on 23 February 2023 and applications have now closed. For further information and the estimated timeline for this appointment please see the public appointment section on gov.uk.
The competition will be conducted as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring we take the necessary steps to recruit the best person for the role.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any checks have been made by the Department of Health and Social Care regarding products it uses which contain cotton about where the cotton was grown.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Supply Chain, which supplies the majority of medical goods, products and consumables for the National Health Service, has had a Supplier Code of Conduct, based on the principles of the UN Global Compact, in place since 2009. Under the Code all suppliers, including suppliers of cotton products, are expected to adhere to these principles, which address issues including child labour, forced labour, wages, working hours and health and safety. NHS Supply Chain suppliers must undertake a Modern Slavery Assessment on the United Kingdom Government’s Supplier Portal.
Section 47 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory duty for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to undertake a review into the risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place in NHS supply chains, specifically focusing on cotton-based products, and to lay a report before Parliament on its outcomes within 18 months. The Review is being undertaken by NHS Supply Chain, with oversight from NHS England.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to introduce places of safety for people leaving immediate situations of exploitation before deciding whether to enter the National Referral Mechanism.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Potential victims of modern slavery who have entered the NRM, and need emergency accommodation, particularly those who are vulnerable and are leaving immediate situations of exploitation, will receive accommodation support in line with the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance.
The Home Office is reviewing the policy options and commencement of places of safety.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Government has made on the appointment of an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) as set out in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.
The Home Secretary recognises the importance of the role of Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and had launched a new open competition to recruit for this role.
The role went live on 23 February 2023 and applications have now closed. For further information and the estimated timeline for this appointment please see the public appointment section on gov.uk.
The competition will be conducted as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring we take the necessary steps to recruit the best person for the role.