12th Report - Victims of modern slavery
- HC No.
- HC 803
- Published
- 30 Apr 2017
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 18 December 2017. Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Work and Pensions Committee
Victims of modern slavery inquiry
Closed
Opened 26 Oct 2016
Closed 3 Oct 2019
Work and Pensions Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
Failures in the UK’s system for dealing with modern slavery are allowing the “inexcusable” scenario of victims reduced to destitution while their abusers go free because they are not adequately supported to testify against them.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 26 October 2016.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 12th Report - Victims of modern slavery on 30 April 2017.
The government's response
Published 18 December 2017.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the Committee's report and says it shares the aim of tailored support for victims, but does not accept the recommendations on automatic leave to remain, an exemption from the Habitual Residence Test, or benefits on a positive conclusive grounds decision.
- On automatic one year's leave to remain, the Government "does not accept" the recommendation, saying a blanket policy "risks incentivising individuals to make false trafficking claims". Discretionary leave is granted where exceptional circumstances justify it.
- It is "more than trebling" support after a conclusive grounds decision, increasing it "from 14 to 45 days".
- On re-trafficking, the National Crime Agency will "introduce a new system" to record referrals showing re-trafficking, though the Government says the data "will therefore not be conclusive".
- On benefit conditionality, it "agrees that many victims of modern slavery have been subject to traumatic experiences" but says "an automatic easement would not be the right approach"; DWP says a blanket sanctions exemption "may not be the best way" to support each individual.
Reports
- 12th Report - Victims of modern slavery30 April 2017
Evidence
- 4 oral evidence sessionsLatest 30 January 2017
Recent activity
- Letter from Sarah Newton MP to Chair on modern slavery evidence session, 17 February 201721 June 2018, Correspondence
- Letter from Sarah Newton MP and Damian Hinds MP re victims of modern slavery 1110175 January 2018, Correspondence
- 4th Special Report - Victims of modern slavery: Government Response to the Committee’s Twelfth Report of Session 2016–1718 December 2017, Report published
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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Correspondence
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