Tag: Fiona Mactaggart

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how potential victims of trafficking whose type of exploitation is recorded as unknown in the National Referral Mechanism Statistics, end of year summary 2015, published on 11 February 2016 were identified; and if she will make a statement.

Sarah Newton

Potential Victims who are recorded in the National Referral Mechanism Statistics (NRM) statistics as having suffered an unknown type of exploitation are identified and referred through the same process as other victims. The breakdown of agencies who referred them to the NRM are included in published statistics, data for which is derived from initial referral forms. An ‘unknown’ categorisation can result from missing or incomplete information on this form, which may be collected at a later stage as part of the ongoing assessment and safeguarding of the potential victim concerned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ascertain the extent of human trafficking into the fishing industry; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley

UK law enforcement agencies cooperate to target human trafficking in the maritime fishing industry. Where potential victims of trafficking (PVOT) are identified, they are referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The number of PVOTs that have been referred to the NRM from the maritime industry in the last 3 years are as follows:

2012 -23

2013 – 6

2014 – 4

In 2014, the Home Office engaged with a range of trade and industry associations to raise awareness of modern slavery, including by developing information leaflets. We engaged with Maritime UK, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and Seafish Industry Authority to develop and disseminate the materials.

The NCA regularly assesses the threat of Modern Slavery in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she plans to use for determining which non-governmental organisations will collaborate with Polaris on providing helpline services for trafficking victims; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley

Polaris, a US-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), is establishing an enhanced UK helpline in collaboration with Unseen, a UK-based NGO. Polaris chose to partner with Unseen based on criteria that it had identified and which reflect its experience of delivering a similar helpline in the US. Polaris and Unseen intend to work closely with other NGOs and law enforcement to ensure that the helpline is as effective as possible in supporting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice. The Government was not involved in the selection process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many victims of human trafficking applied for asylum in each year from 2010 to 2015 by gender, age, citizenship and type of exploitation.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2015 1,200 applications for asylum were submitted by individuals recognised as victims of human trafficking by the National Referral Mechanism. Of those, 782 individuals (65.2%) were successfully granted some form of leave to enter/remain in the UK as a result of their asylum application.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted an investigation into how Demie Omol was able to travel through the UK to the Republic of Ireland; and what steps she is taking to prevent further victims of trafficking being similarly transported by the same agents and through the same routes.

Karen Bradley

We do not routinely comment on individual cases. With regard to onward travel through the UK, we have rolled out Safeguarding and Trafficking teams at a number of major UK ports so that trained officers can help identify victims, disrupt organised criminal groups, collect intelligence and provide a point of expertise and guidance for other frontline officers.

With regard to Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland also works closely with An Garda Siochana on an operational basis to tackle cases of suspected cross border human trafficking and exploitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of collecting data about the specific region or town of origin of all victims of human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley

As part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) pilot we are reviewing the information collected to ensure all relevant information is captured. As part of this we are considering the potential merits of collecting more granular data on the place of origin of victims of trafficking. Any fundamental changes to the NRM, including data collection, will be made after the NRM pilot has concluded.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who are also victims of trafficking were witnesses or accused in criminal proceedings in each year from 2010 to 2015.

Sarah Newton

The Home Office does not systemically record whether asylum seekers who are also victims of trafficking have involvement in criminal proceedings. Data on involvement of witnesses, defendants and offenders in criminal proceedings is a matter for the Ministry of Justice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in areas with a housing shortage to recruit qualified teachers.

Nick Gibb

We recognise that in some parts of the country teacher recruitment may be challenging, particularly as the economy improves, but we are committed to attracting top graduates and career-changers into teaching, and supporting schools to recruit and retain good teachers. We have increased scholarships and training bursaries, in priority subjects; expanded Teach First and given graduates the chance to earn a salary while they train.

We have also given schools greater flexibility to use the pay system to attract and retain teachers in response to local circumstances.

The Secretary of State has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body to consider whether a salary advance scheme for rental deposits on privately rented homes should be introduced for teachers to help with the cost of moving and so support recruitment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to raise the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities in India during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

India and the UK have a rich, wide-ranging and mature bilateral relationship. We will discuss a broad spectrum of issues during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.

The UK raises a range of human rights matters with India, including religious freedom and the treatment of ethnic minorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. This includes meeting Union and State level government institutions, such as the Indian National Commission for Minorities, which the British High Commission in New Delhi met earlier this month. The High Commission also stays in regular contact with civil society organisations and senior faith leaders working on religious freedom across India.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister’s press release, PM’s Extremism Taskforce: tackling extremism in universities and colleges top of the agenda, dated 17 September 2015, what evidence was used to identify the six hate preachers named in that press release; and if she will publish the evidence which demonstrates that Dr Salman Butt had expressed views at a university contrary to British values.

Karen Bradley

The Home Office has information on 70 events held on university campuses in 2014 involving speakers who are considered by the Home Office to have previously expressed views contrary to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Dr Salman Butt is the chief editor of Islam21c, a publication that hosts material contrary to British values, and has himself expressed views of concern in this publication and on social media, appearing to compare homosexuality to paedophilia as a sin and supporting FGM. He has spoken alongside CAGE and used social media to support CAGE’s position on Mohammed Emwazi (‘Jihadi John’), which has been to try to justify his resort to violence.