Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
First Report - Human trafficking
Home Affairs Committee
HC 124
Published 8 December 2023
Government response
Fourth Special Report - Human Trafficking: Government Response to the Committees First Report · published 22 Feb 2024
Recommendations & Conclusions
10
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 49
Unacceptable 18-month vacancy for Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner breached statutory duty.
Conclusion
We welcome the Home Office’s appointment of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) and look forward to inviting her to speak to us as soon as possible, to understand how she intends to prioritise the prevention of human trafficking—including tackling …
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Government Response Summary
The government welcomed the appointment of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner at the end of 2023 and looks forward to working with her, but did not address the committee's concern about the unacceptable delay in her appointment.
Home Office
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40
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 127
Resourcing challenges hinder essential financial investigations against human traffickers.
Conclusion
Financial investigations are essential to tackling organised crime and traffickers, particularly for evidence-led prosecutions. However, we heard that these specialists can be hard to resource.
Government Response Summary
The government's response focuses on its modern slavery strategy and reporting, but does not directly address the committee's conclusion regarding the essential role of financial investigations and the difficulty in resourcing specialists.
Home Office
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41
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Require Government to prioritise and adequately resource financial investigations within law enforcement bodies.
Recommendation
The Government needs to ensure that appropriate priority is placed on resourcing financial investigations within law enforcement bodies. (Paragraph 128) 76 Human trafficking
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of a strategy to tackle modern slavery but does not directly address the recommendation to ensure appropriate priority for resourcing financial investigations within law enforcement bodies.
Home Office
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64
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 196
Address urgently the unacceptably high attrition rate of National Referral Mechanism staff.
Conclusion
Recruitment campaigns and the training of new National Referral Mechanism staff are welcome, and we look forward to the Home Office notifying us when the promised 200 new staff are recruited by the end of 2023. However, the attrition rate …
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Government Response Summary
The government details efforts to increase NRM workforce and productivity, which acknowledges the welcome recruitment, but does not address the urgent call to reduce the unacceptably high attrition rate among staff.
Home Office
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79
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 234
Increase safe accommodation provision for trafficking victims through Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government increases the provision of safe accommodation available through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract for trafficking victims, including single-sex provision, while they await a National Referral Mechanism decision.
Government Response Summary
The government did not commit to increasing safe accommodation provision, instead stating it remains committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation through existing Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) processes and monitoring capacity on a needs-basis.
Home Office
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96
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 281
Amend Modern Slavery guidance to include 'turning 18' support for transitioning child victims.
Conclusion
The Home Office should amend its Modern Slavery statutory guidance to include guidance on ‘turning 18’ to ensure that ageing out of the care system does not reduce holistic support for recovery and prevention of re-trafficking.
Government Response Summary
The government outlines existing support for children through local authorities and ICTGs, which plan for transitions, but does not commit to amending the Modern Slavery statutory guidance as recommended.
Home Office
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103
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Require the Home Office to provide regular updates on progress in finding missing children.
Conclusion
The Committee has previously challenged the Home Office with our concerns that children have gone missing. The Home Office must update the Committee with its progress in finding these children by the end of this year, and we expect to …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response discusses hotel closures and issues with blanket NRM referrals but does not commit to updating the Committee on the progress of finding missing children or providing regular updates as requested.
Home Office
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