Asked by: Baroness Butler-Sloss (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner has not been appointed in accordance with section 40(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
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 process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments which can be found on GOV.UK.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration.
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that asylum seekers who are (a) women and (b) unaccompanied minors are not falling victim to (i) modern slavery and (ii) human trafficking whilst residing in temporary hotel accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people making life-threatening journeys to cross the Channel. These boats are often carrying unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and this has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity and with the children’s best interests in mind, we have arranged for them to be accommodated on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels whilst placements with local authorities are being vigorously pursued.
We have safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in emergency interim hotels are as safe and supported as possible whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Bristol (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will appoint the next Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
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 process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support victims of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to delivering personalised, needs-based support to victims of modern slavery, which places the individual victim and their recovery needs at the heart of the support we provide.
The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the process that identifies and supports victims of modern slavery by connecting them with appropriate support; including through the UK government funded Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), support provided by local authorities, asylum services, and wider state support services such as the NHS.
The MSVCC is valued at over £300m and helps thousands of victims in England and Wales each year to access vital support they need to assist with their recovery from their modern slavery experience. It provides victims with three core pillars of support: safehouse accommodation, financial support (where necessary), and access to a support worker to assist with accessing wider services such as healthcare, translation services and legal aid. The Government’s comprehensive support offer is set out in full in Annex F of the Modern Slavery Statutory guidance, found modern slavery statutory guidance, non statutory guidance v2.11 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Support for victims in Scotland and Northern Ireland is provided by the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive respectively.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help ensure that vulnerable Ukrainian women and children are not trafficked into (a) sex slavery and (b) domestic servitude in (i) the UAE and (ii) in other countries.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government is committed to tackling the crime of human trafficking. In Ukraine, as well as other countries currently hosting millions of refugees from Ukraine, we are working closely with delivery partners to protect the most vulnerable from the dangers of modern slavery. The UK has pledged £220 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. We are providing life-saving assistance, including targeted gender-based violence services, legal support and crisis accommodation to help tackle safeguarding concerns and trafficking risks.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which articles and sections of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking they have identified as being incompatible with the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains committed to tackling the scourge of modern slavery.
Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combatting trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (the “EU Trafficking Directive”) was adopted on 5 April 2011.
The Nationality and Borders Act provides legislative clarity to victims and decision makers on victims’ rights, including the entitlement to a recovery period and the circumstances in which confirmed victims may be granted permission to stay.
Section 68 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 disapplied the EU Trafficking Directive insofar as it was incompatible with provisions made by that Act.
The provisions in Section 68 aim to ensure that if there is any provision within the EU Directive that operates on the same subject as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, whether support for victims or otherwise, there is no confusion as to which applies.
The Government believes that that if there is any provision within the Directive that operates on the same subject as the 2022 Act, whether support for victims or otherwise, it is right that people are not confused as to which applies. More broadly, the Government does not believe that any of the Directive’s provisions have been given direct effect by a domestic court and so does not have effect as retained EU law.
This provision does not result in a diminution below the standards laid down in the EU Trafficking Directive, nor does section 68 remove any entitlements from victims. This legal clarification will not have an impact on victim identification, protection and support provided through the National Referral Mechanism.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of section 68 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on the rights of victims of modern slavery.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains committed to tackling the scourge of modern slavery.
Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combatting trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (the “EU Trafficking Directive”) was adopted on 5 April 2011.
The Nationality and Borders Act provides legislative clarity to victims and decision makers on victims’ rights, including the entitlement to a recovery period and the circumstances in which confirmed victims may be granted permission to stay.
Section 68 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 disapplied the EU Trafficking Directive insofar as it was incompatible with provisions made by that Act.
The provisions in Section 68 aim to ensure that if there is any provision within the EU Directive that operates on the same subject as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, whether support for victims or otherwise, there is no confusion as to which applies.
The Government believes that that if there is any provision within the Directive that operates on the same subject as the 2022 Act, whether support for victims or otherwise, it is right that people are not confused as to which applies. More broadly, the Government does not believe that any of the Directive’s provisions have been given direct effect by a domestic court and so does not have effect as retained EU law.
This provision does not result in a diminution below the standards laid down in the EU Trafficking Directive, nor does section 68 remove any entitlements from victims. This legal clarification will not have an impact on victim identification, protection and support provided through the National Referral Mechanism.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's policy is on making revisions to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 before or after the appointment of a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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 process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration and an announcement will follow in due course.
My Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary will set out the Government’s plans for modern slavery legislation in due course. We will engage with the new IASC on the legislation following their appointment.
The Government continues to work with a range of partners to shape its response to modern slavery and will look forward to working with the new IASC when appointed.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the length of time taken to appoint a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner on the effectiveness of efforts to tackle modern slavery in the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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 process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration and an announcement will follow in due course.
My Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary will set out the Government’s plans for modern slavery legislation in due course. We will engage with the new IASC on the legislation following their appointment.
The Government continues to work with a range of partners to shape its response to modern slavery and will look forward to working with the new IASC when appointed.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made towards the appointment of a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner following the interviews of candidates for the role which took place in April 2022; and what her planned timetable is for making a final decision on a new appointee for that role.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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 process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration and an announcement will follow in due course.
My Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary will set out the Government’s plans for modern slavery legislation in due course. We will engage with the new IASC on the legislation following their appointment.
The Government continues to work with a range of partners to shape its response to modern slavery and will look forward to working with the new IASC when appointed.