Tag: Baroness Doocey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-02-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the National Crime Agency has made of the methods used by criminals in the UK to re-traffic Vietnamese child victims out of foster care.

Lord Bates

The National Crime Agency is responsible for the assessment of threats, including methods of trafficking by criminals. Information on this is not centrally recorded on the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Data included in NRM referral forms concentrates on detail specifically required to prove the three constituent elements of human trafficking. This would not necessarily include the detail required to assess methodology used to re-traffick victims and as such does not form part of assessment reporting. The independent evaluation of the trial by the University of Bedfordshire collected data on the number of all potentially trafficked children referred to the trial, along with their characteristics including age, gender and geographical location, as well as the number of children that were recorded as missing. However the evaluation did not collect data on the number of children in the trial that were re-trafficked and it is not possible to determine how many of those children who went missing were subsequently re-trafficked.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance has been provided to the Legal Aid Agency about section 47 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Lord Keen of Elie

The Lord Chancellor has the power to issue guidance or directions to the Director of Legal Aid casework under section 4 of LASPO. No such guidance or directions have been issued in respect of legal aid available as a result of section 47 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have been double flagged by the Crown Prosecution Service over the past three years using the flag for monitoring human trafficking, and the flag for monitoring child abuse.

Lord Keen of Elie

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify both human trafficking and child abuse cases by way of a database monitoring flag applied to the electronic case record.

The number of defendants prosecuted for flagged human trafficking offences where the child abuse flag was also applied are as follows:

2012-2013	2013-2014	2014-2015
19	59	24

The figures provided represent the number of defendants prosecuted. Cases of trafficking for child exploitation (particularly child sexual exploitation) can involve networks of multi-defendants who have sexually exploited young female victims. Therefore, in the relatively low numbers of cases cross flagged, a small number of additional cases in one year involving upwards of 9 to 12 defendants each will have a significant effect on the annual figures. This, in part, explains the reduction in the number of defendants prosecuted for both human trafficking and child abuse; down from 59 in 2013/14 to 24 in 2014/15.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past three years.

Lord Keen of Elie

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.

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 at magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for the last three financial years:

	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 {71(1)(b) & (3)}	Knowingly hold another person in slavery/solitude	20	3	28
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 {71(1)(b) & (3)}	Knowingly require another person to perform forced/compulsory labour	0	15	3

Note: A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether anyone has been prosecuted for human trafficking offences in circumstances where the victim has been found in a cannabis factory.

Lord Bates

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided by reviewing individual case files, at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 23 February (HL6039), how many of the six cases in 2014 knowingly requir[ing] another person to perform forced/compulsory labour” involved child victims.”

Lord Faulks

There were no juveniles (individuals aged 10-17) involved as victims of the offence of “knowingly requir[ing] another person to perform forced/compulsory labour”, in England and Wales, in 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many child victims of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism have passed through Calais.

Lord Bates

National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data on the number of child victims of modern slavery who have passed through Calais is not specifically recorded. NRM data includes the location of exploitation and the location of where the potential victim was first encountered. Border Force will refuse entry to the UK for any child presenting at Calais where they have concerns about their welfare. Such children are referred to and placed in the care of the French authorities. These children are not referred into the NRM as they are not present in the UK. Care and support for children who are suspected of having been trafficked or enslaved, under these circumstances, would fall to the French Authorities.

The UK has funded a project run by a French non-governmental organisation, France Terre D’Asile, to identify potential victims of trafficking and exploitation (including children) in the camps in Calais and to direct them to appropriate support services in France. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland, has been fully involved in the project by Terre D’Asile.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to issue statutory guidance for identifying and supporting victims, as set out in section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Lord Bates

Statutory guidance for identifying and supporting victims will be issued once the National Referral Mechanism pilots have concluded.

The guidance is being developed in consultation with representatives from NGOs, Government and frontline agencies. This is in line with section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Save the Children about identifying whether any of the unaccompanied children found at the Jungle” camp in Calais were potential child victims of trafficking.”

Lord Bates

The Home Secretary and French Interior Minister agreed in the UK-France Joint Declaration in August 2015 to set up a project to identify potential victims of trafficking (including children) in the Calais migrant camp and directs them to existing protection, support and advice within France. The project is being delivered by the French non-governmental organisation, France Terre D’Asile.

The UK has contributed €750,000 (£530,000) to fund the project which formally launched in December 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Doocey on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many modern slavery cases have been assessed in the past three months by the multi-disciplinary panels appointed in the National Referral Mechanism pilots in (1) West Yorkshire, and (2) the South West.

Lord Bates

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) pilot commenced in August 2015 and in the period up to 40 cases have been considered by the multi-disciplinary panels. 33 of these cases were from potential victims identified in West Yorkshire, and 7 from potential victims identified in the South West.

We anticipate the pilot will run for 12 months following which decisions will be made about the future of the NRM to better identify and support all victims of modern slavery. In reaching these decisions we will consult with key partners including the police, local authorities and the NHS.

The names of the independent chairs of the multi-disciplinary panels have been published and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-national-referral-mechanism-for-victims-of-human-trafficking/pilot-evaluating-the-proposed-reforms-to-the-national-referral-mechanism