A regular digest of information and research related to human trafficking into and within the UK. Produced by the Research and Development Unit, on behalf of The Salvation Army’s Director of Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery.
Contents 1. Research, reports and journal articles 1.1 Hidden in plain site: modern slavery in the construction industry (September 2016) 1.2 Labour compliance to exploitation and the abuses in-between (August 2016) 1.3 Developments in the UK’s response to child trafficking and sexual exploitation (July 2016) 1.4 Modern Slavery Act 2015: Recent developments (July 2016)
4.7 4.8
2. Political and legislative 2.1 Draft Northern Ireland Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Strategy 2016/17 (July 2016) 2.2 Parliamentary Questions
4.12 4.13
3. Campaigns 3.1 ‘International Day for the remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition’ (23 August) 4. In the news 4.1 ‘Black Country scrapyard slavery probe finds “malnourished” men’ 4.2 ‘Dublin taxi driver accused of trafficking “advertised on website’’’ 4.3 ‘Tile Hill warehouse slavery probe’ 4.4 ‘UK delays resulting in exploitation of Calais children, says anti-slavery chief’ 4.5 ‘British spies will join anti-slavery task force to stamp out “evil” of modern day exploitation’ 4.6 ‘Oxford father and daughter who forced man to work jailed’
1. Research, reports and journal articles 1. Hidden in plain site: modern slavery in the construction industry (September 2016) LexisNexis BIS releases a report which shows that throughout the construction industry and its material supply chains, forced labour and other exploitation are common, often hidden and subject to inadequate prevention, policing and prosecution. http://bisinfo.lexisnexis.co.uk/inplainsite_ modernslaveryconstruction_report 1.2 Labour compliance to exploitation and the abuses in-between (August 2016) The Labour Exploitation Advisory Group1 has published a report which highlights the links between labour abuse and 1 The Labour Exploitation Advisory Group (LEAG) is a group of key organisations working with potential and actual victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. LEAG was established by the Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) in 2015.
4.9 4.10 4.11
4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22
‘840 illegal entry arrests by Welsh police since 2013’ ‘Slavery arrest as baby found living in Coventry warehouse’ ‘This is the worrying statistic behind slavery in Wales with more people expected to be at risk by the end of the Year’ ‘Romanian cops to work with anti-slavery police in Manchester’ ‘4,500 victims supported by Salvation Army in five years’ ‘Slavery reports rise fivefold, Salvation Army says’ ‘Modern slavery reports in Wales quadruple in three years’ ‘British businesses must do more to stamp out modern slavery in supply chains’ ‘Woman used witchcraft and violence to traffic teenage orphans into Heathrow for European sex trade’ ‘Home Office unites with charities to end slavery’ ‘Modern slavery: Theresa May vows to defeat “evil”’ ‘Slavery and human trafficking claims “not investigated properly”’ ‘Londonderry: rape and human trafficking charges against man withdrawn’ ‘A Bristol charity opens the region’s first safe house for trafficked men’ ‘Family jailed for trafficking Hungarian women given slavery orders’ ‘Modern slavery and human trafficking on the rise in UK’
exploitation. The report indicates that greater emphasis is needed to ensure compliance among organisations and businesses across the labour market in order to prevent labour abuse and exploitation. http://www.labourexploitation.org/sites/default/ files/publications/Labour%20Compliance%20to%20 Exploitation.pdf 1.3 Developments in the UK’s response to child trafficking and sexual exploitation (July 2016) ECPAT UK publishes their expert paper which states that UK laws are ineffective when it comes to protecting children abroad from travelling UK sex offenders. The paper calls upon multi-agency international co-operation, compulsory reporting of child sexual abuse offences by UK offenders abroad and the establishment of a national investigation unit to tackle extraterritorial child sexual abuse. http://www.ecpat.org.uk/sites/default/files/ecpat_uk_ csec_paper_global_study.pdf
This bulletin covers material produced during the period 1 July to 30 September 2016 although it should be noted that, due to space limitations, not all relevant material may have been included. The bulletin includes links to material and sources and is provided by way of information. The information included is not necessarily endorsed or supported by The Salvation Army.
1.4 Modern Slavery Act 2015: Recent developments (July 2016) House of Commons publishes briefing paper which summarises the main provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and developments in regards to this legislation since it received royal assent. http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7656 2. Political and legislative 2.1 Draft Northern Ireland Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Strategy 2016/17 (July 2016) The Department of Justice publishes strategy consultation which builds on work that was progressed under the 2015/16 Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy and under earlier human trafficking action plans for Northern Ireland. https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ consultations/justice/human-trafficking-strategyconsultation-2016-17.pdf 2.2 Parliamentary questions The following section, drawn from the Hansard Commons debates, covers responses to parliamentary questions asked by MPs, in reverse chronological order. Oral Answers 13 September The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Michael Ellis): I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2016. May I say what a pleasure it is to serve under your chairmanship, Mr McCabe. The draft order was laid before the House on 11 July 2016. If it pleases the Committee, I will briefly put the order in context before setting out what it does. I think that it will be highly uncontroversial, given that there is unlikely to be much air between the parties on the matter, but it is important. The order is made under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998, which allows for necessary or expedient changes to legislation in consequence of an Act of the Scottish Parliament. That is what has happened here: the Scottish Parliament has passed an Act and we are seeking to make expedient changes for its operation in England. The order is made in consequence of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 1 October 2015 and received Her Majesty’s Assent on 4 November. The Act consolidates and strengthens the existing criminal law in Scotland against human trafficking and exploitation, and it enhances the status and support for victims of those heinous crimes. The 2015 Act that was passed by the Scottish Parliament is in six parts, which I will address briefly. Part 1 introduces
two new criminal offences: one is a single offence of human trafficking for all types of exploitation; the other is a new offence of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Those replace existing criminal offences in Scots law that deal with similar conduct. The maximum penalty of 14 years for human trafficking has now been increased to life imprisonment. Part 2 provides for the support and assistance to which adult and child victims of human trafficking are entitled. Part 3 deals with the confiscation of property and the proceeds of crime. Part 4 introduces two new prevention and risk orders, as they are called, in Scotland: the trafficking and exploitation prevention orders, and the trafficking and exploitation risk orders. The Act also places a duty on Scottish Ministers to prepare a trafficking and exploitation strategy. This order updates existing UK legislation to give the Scottish Parliament’s 2015 Act full effect; to reflect the new Scottish offences; to ensure that the relevant powers – this is a key point – of UK immigration officers are updated in line with what has happened under the Act in Scotland, so that they are able to detain vehicles, ships and aircraft when a person or persons have been arrested for the offence of human trafficking; and to reflect the new powers conferred on the police under the 2015 Act, which are welcome. The proposed changes are consequential and have not raised any objections. For example, the order updates references to existing Scottish offences in relevant legislation applying in other parts of the UK. These changes, which are primarily to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 but also to the Immigration Act 1971 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004, will refer to the new single offence of human trafficking and the new offence of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour in Scottish legislation. They will then allow the repeal of existing offences. The order will enable English and Welsh courts – it applies, of course, to England and Wales – to enforce the two new Scottish trafficking and exploitation prevention and risk orders. That will ensure a joined-up approach and robust enforcement, which is what we all want for such serious offences. It will also implement the policy intention of some aspects of the Modern Slavery Act that relate to Scotland, by ensuring the scope of the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner’s work, and the duty of large companies to report on transparency and supply chains, are both updated so that, in Scotland, these flow from the new Scottish offences. Finally, the UK and Scottish Governments – Ministers and officials – have been working closely together, as would be expected, to ensure that the order makes the necessary amendments to UK legislation in consequence of the Scottish Parliament’s 2015 Act. There is mutual respect here and I believe that the order demonstrates the UK Government’s continued and very important commitment to working with the Scottish Government to make the devolution settlement work. I hope that you will agree, Mr McCabe, that the order is an appropriate use of the powers in the Scotland Act
1998, and that the practical result is very much to be welcomed. I commend the order to the Committee. David Anderson: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr McCabe. I welcome the changes made in article 2 of this statutory instrument, which confer similar powers afforded to constables under section 13 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 to immigration officers not below the rank of chief immigration officer. As far as article 3 is concerned, I accept the consequential modifications to the primary legislation in consequence of the creation of the two new statutory offences that the Minister has spoken about. I hope that the Minister will be able to calm my fears and those of my Labour colleagues and other MSPs in Holyrood. Their concerns were expressed in a number of amendments that were tabled about the definition of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. My information from them is that those concerns remain, and I will come back to that in a moment. I appreciate the will that the Scottish Government have shown to address concerns raised at stage 1 – namely, the concern that the word ‘travel’ would require a crossborder element, and that the emphasis on that word did not align with Scotland’s international obligations, including those in the EU trafficking directive, which does not place the same, or similar, emphasis on travel. Thankfully, as a result of these concerns, the Justice Committee asked the Government to look again at the definition to see whether it could be better aligned with international obligations. It also suggested that the Government consider the wording of the definition in relation to the word ‘travel’. To be fair to the Scottish Government – I will always be fair to the Scottish Government – they took heed of this advice and brought forward amendments at stage 2 to remove the need to establish that a victim’s travel had been arranged or facilitated simply to allow this to happen. Instead they reframed the offence to criminalise certain defined and listed relevant actions. Various amendments tabled by my MSP colleagues – in particular, Jenny Marra MSP – were denied, despite the support of every MSP in the Chamber other than those from the Scottish National party. I hope that amendment 12, in particular, does not come back to haunt the Scottish Government. It would have ensured that section 4 of the Scottish Parliament’s 2015 Act, which does not contain any definition of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour, was capable of effectively prosecuting those who exploit children. Good examples that have been raised with me of the crimes that might not be covered include claiming child benefit fraudulently and forcing children to shoplift. I hope that the Minister will allay my fears on that. The Scottish Government would also have shown an element of compassion if they had accepted amendment 16, which would have required them to publish guidance on the provision of support and assistance to victims of human trafficking offences. Again, that had the support of every MSP in the Chamber with the exception of SNP MSPs.
Overall, the Bill was an important one that had crossparty support at Holyrood. It is fair to say that a variety of amendments, some of which I have mentioned, possibly did not receive the consideration that they should have received at the time. Having raised those concerns, we will not oppose this statutory instrument today. Angela Crawley: As has been stated, the key provisions of this order ultimately deal with tackling crime as a joint responsibility of the Scottish and UK Governments, incorporating joined-up working and best practice. The fact is that victims of human trafficking and exploitation face horrendous suffering and there is no place for it in modern society. The new legislation to which the order relates will create data protections and increase the maximum penalty for those who perpetrate this serious offence from 14 years to life imprisonment. That sends out an incredibly strong signal that Scotland and the UK is a hostile place for traffickers and that we will not tolerate trafficking and exploitation. We will continue to work in partnership on international and UK levels. The Scottish Government will always aim to make Scotland a hostile place for traffickers and to better identify and support potential and confirmed victims. I welcome the order. Michael Ellis: I very much welcome what the hon. Member for Lanark and Hamilton East said. It is reassuring to see cross-party support on something as important as this – there is very little controversy about the measure, and rightly so. We need to get it right and the authorities in Scotland have clearly worked hard to do so, in consultation with many. I heard the shadow Minister’s representations on definitions and consultations. With regard to wider consultation, the reality is that the Scottish Parliament’s 2015 Act was the subject of numerous reports, inquiries and consultations. The Scottish Government drew on the analysis and recommendations in all those reports to inform the Act. I can assure him that they have taken the same approach with this order. As for his point about the definition of the word ‘travel’, we are content that it is compliant with international obligations. The matters have been perused by the appropriate authorities, and the Scottish Government have indicated to the UK Government that they are content and that it meets international obligations. David Anderson: I accept that the point about travel has been resolved and that the Government acted on the concerns that were raised. The issue was more about the definition of ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour’. I hope that the Minister or his civil servants will advise that there is a definition in this place that covers the same things in Scotland, but I just wanted to make sure that we do not potentially leave a loophole that could be exploited. Michael Ellis: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for exploring the matter, because clearly it is crucial. Lawyers – I was one before I came to this place – will
always look for loopholes where they can find them and definitions have to be very carefully considered and tightly demarcated, because otherwise they provide undesirable opportunities to exploit any lacunas that might exist within them. I am very confident that the authorities have considered that carefully and that legal representations have been sought. I am assured that numerous reports, inquiries and consultations have taken place, and I can only assume that they will have included legal representations. I hope that reassures the hon. Gentleman. 7 July Henry Smith: What recent steps have been taken by the Church of England to tackle human trafficking? Mrs Spelman: The Bishop of Derby has been at the forefront of working to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery within the Church. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the pre-legislative scrutiny Joint Committee on the draft Modern Slavery Bill. He has set up and been part of the Santa Marta process to improve collaboration between churches and police forces in the detection of instances of human trafficking. Henry Smith: I am grateful to the right hon. Lady for that answer. What plans does the Church have to roll out that scheme to the rest of England? With Gatwick in my constituency, I would certainly like to see that. Mrs Spelman: We all understand my hon. Friend’s concern because of his constituency’s location. The Church is building on the Bishop of Derby’s work and intends to launch the Clewer initiative against modern-day slavery in the autumn. It will be designed to combat modern-day slavery across England and provide parishes and dioceses with strategies to detect instances of modern-day slavery. Philip Hollobone: One of the most powerful ways to get any message across is from the personal testimony of victims. A lot of people are realising that human trafficking is hidden in local communities, so what efforts is the Church making to identify and encourage Christian victims of human trafficking to bear witness in their churches and communities? Mrs Spelman: When I served on the Joint Committee on the draft Modern Slavery Bill, the hidden nature of trafficking became apparent, and churches can lift the lid on the prevalence of trafficking in the society in which we live. It is incumbent on us all to have our eyes and ears open and to ask questions when we suspect that someone may be being exploited as result of trafficking. Written answers 13 September Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of narrowing the definition of torture in the draft guidance on adults at risk on people who have been subjected to (a) discriminatory treatment in their community as a result of their sexual orientation, transgender identity, mental or other disability, (b) ethnic, racial, religious
inter-communal violence including genocide, (c) political violence at the hand of non-state actors, (d) male rape and sexual violence and (e) human trafficking. Robert Goodwill: For the purposes of the Government’s ‘adults at risk in immigration detention’ policy, which was implemented on 12 September, the Government has adopted a definition of torture in line with that set out in the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). This covers acts of torture carried out by, or on behalf of state authorities and, in guidance issued to Home Office staff, to doctors working in immigration removal centres, and to other staff, it has been made clear that the definition also covers acts of torture or illtreatment carried out by groups exploiting instability and civil war to hold territory. It does not, however, cover acts of violence carried out in the course of, for example, neighbourhood disputes. The definition employed most accurately reflects the need to protect those who are most likely to be deleteriously affected by detention – that is, those who have been harmed by the state (or by an organisation exercising similar control) and for whom detention is most likely to be redolent of the harm they have suffered. In addition, individuals will fall within the scope of the adults at risk policy if the harm to which they have been subjected causes them to suffer from a condition which also falls within the ‘indicators of risk’ set out in the policy, regardless of whether it falls within the strict definition of ‘torture’ and regardless of the perpetrator of the violence. The policy recognises a broad range of groups of individuals as those likely to be particularly vulnerable to harm in detention without necessarily having to define them as victims of torture. In making the decision to employ the UNCAT definition of torture, the Government took into account a range of considerations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees guidelines, but concluded that the UNCAT definition provided the appropriate level of protection. The Government believes that this approach is fully in line with Stephen Shaw’s recommendations in respect of vulnerable people. The adults at risk policy as a whole represents a broadening of the scope of individuals considered vulnerable, by virtue of the inclusion within the list of indicators of risk set out in the policy of, for example, victims of sexual or gender based violence (including female genital mutilation), transsexual individuals, and those suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Overall, the impact of the adoption of the UNCAT definition on different groups of vulnerable individuals will depend on the circumstances of the particular case. The Government does not anticipate that it will have a disproportionate impact on any specific group. In particular, the Government does not see that there are contradictions in applying the new definition of torture alongside the inclusion in the policy, as an indicator of risk, being a victim of sexual or gender based violence. Although the perpetrator of the violence is, by necessity, a key part of the definition of torture, the adults at risk policy focuses as a whole on the impact on the individual and on whether detention is appropriate in their particular case. Home Office caseworkers have been provided with training and communications on the new adults at risk policy, including in respect of the definition of torture. Guidance on the adults at risk policy has been
issued, including to the commissioners of healthcare in Immigration Removal Centres. 2 September Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to roll out the independent child trafficking advocate scheme nationally beyond the early adopter sites; what response she has made to the recommendations of the Independent AntiSlavery Commissioner that a national roll-out should be implemented before the end of the designated second phase trial period if preliminary evaluations are positive; and when she plans to develop the secondary legislation and statutory guidance accompanying that section. Sarah Newton: As the previous Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime set out in June 2016, the Government intends to roll out independent child trafficking advocates nationally as soon as the procedures for Parliamentary commencement and the introduction of statutory guidance secondary legislation are completed. We will consider carefully the evaluation of the early adopter sites which will assist us in ensuring the secondary legislation and statutory guidance provide for the most effective model to be rolled out. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans for a training programme on human trafficking for existing independent advocates to be available to all looked-after children under the Children Act 2004 will commence; which organisation she plans to provide such training; and if she will confirm whether her Department plans to fund that training. Sarah Newton: We are finalising arrangements for training with other Government departments and the Welsh Government, including how this will be structured and who will deliver the training. Further details will be announced later this year. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many trafficked children she estimates will receive an advocate in the next phase of trials of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates Service. Sarah Newton: Every child that is identified as being potentially trafficked will be allocated an independent child trafficking advocate in each of the early adopter sites. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms there are to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of children who received an independent child trafficking advocate under the 2014-15 trials of such advocates; and how her Department plans to evaluate the planned second phase trials in three early adopter sites of such advocates. Sarah Newton: The evaluation of the 2014/15 trial of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates was completed in September 2015 and the evaluation findings were published in December 2015. Following the trial, children
with an advocate were provided support to transition into existing trafficking or other support services. Independent Child Trafficking Advocates will be introduced in three early adopter sites. The Home Office will conduct an assessment through monitoring outcomes for children who receive an advocate and considering how the advocates were implemented in the three sites. This will be overseen and informed by an expert panel of independent individuals. The learning from the early adopter sites will be used to refine the model for Independent Child Trafficking Advocates to be rolled out across England and Wales. 30 August Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle people trafficking. Sarah Newton: Tackling human trafficking and modern slavery remains a top priority for this government. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 provides law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle trafficking and modern slavery. In July, the Prime Minister announced a new taskforce to accelerate progress. The PM also pledged £33.5m of development assistance funding to tackle slavery in countries from where we know victims are regularly trafficked to the UK. 21 July Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41904, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that her Department meets its non-refoulement obligation in respect of victims of human trafficking held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, and that no victims of human trafficking at risk of re-victimisation, torture or degrading treatment at return are subjected to deportation. Robert Goodwill: No one who is found to be at risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment on return to their country will be deported from the UK. There are processes in place for those held in Immigration Removal Centres to claim asylum if they believe they are at risk of such treatment. Home Office staff working in all Immigration Removal Centres, including Yarl’s Wood, are trained as First Responders to identify signs that individuals may be potential victims of trafficking or slavery. Where an individual is identified as a potential victim, they will be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for assessment. 18 July Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State for the Home Department, Karen Bradley MP (HC Deb, cols 33WH–54WH), on independent advocates for trafficked children, (1) what is the timetable for establishing early adopter sites of independent child trafficking advocates, (2) what geographic areas will constitute a site for these trials, and (3) what mechanisms will be put in place for monitoring the outcomes of
children who received an advocate in the first phase of these trials. Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is in the process of identifying a provider of independent child trafficking advocates and three early adopter sites. To ensure we assess the revised independent child trafficking advocates model appropriately, early adopter sites will cover areas with different demographics as well as having a range of experiences of working with trafficked children. Officials are developing an outcomes framework with support from a wide selection of academics and professionals who have expertise and experience in working with local authorities and trafficked children. 14 July Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Statutory Instruments required by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have yet to be laid by her Department. Sarah Newton: The majority of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has already been enacted and is having a positive impact on the protection of victims and the prosecution of perpetrators. The only duty to make regulations in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is in Section 48. The Government reaffirmed on 28 June its commitment to commencing Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. As announced, the Government is trialling a revised model in the Independent Child Trafficking Advocacy service in three early adopter sites. The commencement of Section 48 requires resolutions of both Houses. Once these have been secured the Government will seek to commence Section 48 and begin the procedure to compile the affirmative regulations required by that section. 13 July Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when guidance on Part 1 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was sent to (a) Chief Police Officers in England and Wales, (b) the National Crime Agency, (c) HM Inspectorate of Constabularies and the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. Sarah Newton: Guidance on Part 1 was sent to Chief Officers of Police, the NCA, HMIC and other partners on 9 July 2015 as part of a broader Home Office circular on the Modern Slavery Act. The circular was not copied to the Independent Chief Inspector of Border and Immigration but is easily accessible on GOV.UK. All Border Force officers undergo mandatory training on identifying victims of modern slavery and have access to relevant guidance.
bodies who are subject to the duty. We will publish data on notifications received and carry out further awarenessraising activity later this year. Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to bring forward proposals for secondary legislation on identifying and supporting victims under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Mike Penning: We are committed to ensuring we have an effective system for identifying and supporting victims. We reviewed and are piloting changes to the National Referral Mechanism. We will consider the introduction of regulations once the proposed changes to the National Referral Mechanism have been tested. 12 July Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the implementation plan and monitoring framework for the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Sarah Newton: While there are no plans to publish an additional plan or monitoring framework, the Government has several mechanisms overseeing implementation and monitoring of the Modern Slavery Act and Strategy. The Inter-Departmental Group for Modern Slavery, chaired by the Home Secretary, publishes an annual report on Government work to tackle modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Threat Group chaired by the National Policing Lead, oversees the operational response. And the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner will publish his first annual report about the UK’s response this Autumn. Ann Coffey: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were charged in 2015 under (a) section 57 and (b) section 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Jeremy Wright: I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice, as I am the minister that superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who is responsible for bringing charges. The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with offences brought by way of Section 1 or Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; or Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004; or Sections 57 and 58 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (Sections 57, 58 and 59 were repealed and replaced by section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 13 April 2013.) This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notifications her Department has received under section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 relating to slavery or human trafficking of (a) children and (b) adults.
However, although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with a particular offence, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the human trafficking offences during each of the last three calendar years.
Sarah Newton: We published guidance on the Modern Slavery Act on GOV.UK and a circular was sent to all
A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.
2013
2014
2015
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of claimants, etc.) Act 2004 {4}
20
73
48
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 {71}
36
26
34
Modern Slavery Act 2015 {1}
0
0
5
Sexual Offences Act 2003 {57}
22
35
69
Sexual Offences Act 2003 {58}
84
35
75
Sexual Offences Act 2003 {59}
4
4
9
Sexual Offences Act 2003 {59A}
1
17
94
Total Human Trafficking Offences Charged
167
190
334
Data Source: CPS Management Information System No offences have yet been recorded under section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which came into force on 31 July 2015. 11 July Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) who holds responsibility for training magistrates and (b) how many magistrates have received training on the use of (i) slavery and trafficking risk orders and (ii) slavery and trafficking prevention orders. Shailesh Vara: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Lord Chief Justice and is exercised through the Judicial College. To fulfil their judicial decision making responsibilities magistrates, their legal advisers and District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts) receive comprehensive induction and continuation training in across the jurisdictions, which includes new legislation. It is not however possible to identify where magistrates have received standalone or direct training on the use of slavery and trafficking risk orders or slavery and trafficking prevention orders. Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many slavery and trafficking prevention orders on sentencing have been (a) applied for and (b) made under section 14 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Karen Bradley: 16 Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPOs) have been made on sentencing in the Crown Court under section 14 of the Modern Slavery Act. Data on the number of STPOs applied for on sentencing is not collated centrally. No STPOs have been applied for or made in the Magistrates’ Court. No slavery and trafficking prevention orders have been applied for or made on application under section 15 of the Modern Slavery Act in the Magistrates’ Court. Nine Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders have been applied for on application to the Magistrates’ Court, of which three have been made. Of the remaining six, two were refused, one was withdrawn and three cases were adjourned. This data has been run specifically to answer this question and is not verified to the same standard as Official Statistics.
6 July Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance has been issued to the Courts and HM Prison Service to ensure that section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is fully embedded into their training. Lord Keen of Elie: The Home Office Circular on the Modern Slavery Act, along with a list of those to whom it was sent, is available on gov.uk. Human trafficking and modern slavery is covered within the core learning offer for prison and probation staff. Supplementary training on the subject of human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals is available to officers working with particularly vulnerable groups, such as foreign national or female offenders. Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many independent child trafficking advocates will be needed to fulfil the requirements under section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Baroness Williams of Trafford: As the Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime set out on 28 June: https://hansard.parliament.uk/ commons/2016-06-28/debates/16062854000001/ IndependentAdvocatesForTraffickedChildren The Government is committed to commencing section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act and developing the accompanying secondary legislation and statutory guidance. As part of the commencement process, we will work with interested parties, including Non-Governmental Organisations, to determine the scale of the service. 5 July Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contractual obligations on the handling of potential victims and victims of human trafficking are placed on her Department’s contractors operating Immigration Removal Centres. James Brokenshire: There is a general duty of care on contractors to highlight to the Home Office any concerns they have about the welfare of detainees, but there are no specific contractual obligations for service providers operating immigration removal centres (IRCs) to report or manage individuals as potential victims or victims of trafficking. The decision to refer a person as a potential victim of trafficking or slavery into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which identifies and supports potential victims, is made by a First Responder. Home Office staff working in IRCs can act as First Responders. Potential victims and Serco staff or any other contractor working in an IRC are not defined as First Responders but they may highlight a trafficking/slavery claim to Home Office staff who will then determine what action needs to be taken. 4 July Jim Shannon: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps are
being taken by the Church of England to tackle human trafficking. Caroline Spelman: In March 2014 the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Pope Francis and other global faith leaders, gave their backing to the Global Freedom Network (www.globalfreedomnetwork.org), a groundbreaking ecumenical initiative to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. The Archbishop is planning an international conference in 2017 with the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Bishop of Derby has also been at the forefront of work to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery for the Church of England. He has been part of the Santa Martha Process (which looks to improve collaboration between churches and police in the detection of instances of human trafficking) and has developed strategies in his diocese to combat human trafficking and modern slavery. The Church of England will launch The Clewer Initiative against Modern Day Slavery this autumn. It will provide English dioceses and parishes with strategies for the combating of modern slavery and guidance on how to assist in the provision of victim support and care. The initiative is intended to build on existing capacity and the assistance to dioceses and church networks will be carefully tailored to their specific contexts and needs.
3. Campaigns 3.1 ‘International Day for the remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition’ (23 August) A day which pays tribute to all those who revolted against the slave system and fought for freedom, and in their name to continue teaching about their story and the values therein. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizesand-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/slavetrade-and-its-abolition/
4. In the News 4.1 Black Country scrapyard slavery probe finds ‘malnourished’ men BBC News, 27 September http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandbirmingham-37484535 4.2 Dublin taxi driver accused of trafficking ‘advertised on website’ BBC News, 23 September http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northernireland-37455883 4.3 Tile Hill warehouse slavery probe dropped BBC News, 23 September http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventrywarwickshire-37457398 4.4 UK delays resulting in exploitation of Calais children, says anti-slavery chief The Guardian, 20 September https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/20/ uk-delays-calais-children-exploitation-anti-slavery-chief
4.5 British spies will join anti-slavery task force to stamp out ‘evil’ of modern day exploitation Mirror, 19 September http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-spiesjoin-anti-slavery-8872020 4.6 Oxford father and daughter who forced man to work jailed BBC News, 31 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandoxfordshire-37236217 4.7 840 illegal entry arrests by Welsh police since 2013 BBC News, 30 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37218194 4.8 Slavery arrest as baby found living in Coventry warehouse BBC News, 30 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventrywarwickshire-37223780 4.9 This is the worrying statistic behind slavery in Wales with more people expected to be at risk by the end of the year Wales Online, 27 August http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ worrying-statistic-behind-slavery-wales-11806979 4.10 Romanian cops to work with anti-slavery police in Manchester BBC News, 24 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandmanchester-37169492 4.11 4,500 slavery victims supported by Salvation Army in five years The Guardian, 22 August https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/ aug/22/4500-slavery-victims-supported-by-salvationarmy-in-five-years 4.12 Slavery reports rise fivefold, Salvation Army says BBC News, 22 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37097739 4.13 Modern slavery reports in Wales quadruple in three years BBC News, 8 August http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37011036 4.14 British businesses must do more to stamp out modern slavery in supply chains Sputnik International, 4 August http://sputniknews.com/ europe/20160804/1043941139/uk-slavery-supply-chains. html 4.15 Woman used witchcraft and violence to traffic teenage orphans into Heathrow for European sex trade Mirror, 3 August http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-usedwitchcraft-violence-traffick-8554503 4.16 Home Office unites with charities to end slavery Gov.uk, 1 August https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-officeunites-with-charities-to-end-slavery
4.17 Modern slavery: Theresa May vows to defeat ‘evil’ BBC News, 31 July http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36934853 4.18 Slavery and human trafficking claims ‘not investigated properly’ The Guardian, 30 July https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/30/ slavery-and-human-trafficking-claims-not-investigatedproperly 4.19 Londonderry: Rape and human trafficking charges against man withdrawn BBC News, 29 July http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foylewest-36922216
4.20 A Bristol charity opens the region’s first safe house for trafficked men BBC News, 22 July http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandbristol-36856410 4.21 Family jailed for trafficking Hungarian women given slavery orders BBC News, 20 July http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandmanchester-36845084 4.22 Modern slavery and human trafficking on the rise in UK The Guardian, 10 July https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jul/10/ modern-slavery-on-rise-in-uk
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