Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports in the Sunday Times on 26 January about the forced labour of at least 16 people in a McDonald’s restaurant, a car wash and a commercial bakery, what steps are they taking to ensure that the proposed Fair Work Agency will have sufficient powers and resources to detect and prevent such exploitation in future.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to giving the Fair Work Agency the tools it needs to enforce its remit effectively and robustly. It will have strong powers that will allow it to investigate and take action against businesses that flout the law. Details around the implementation and funding will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports in the Sunday Times on 26 January about the support that forced labour victims received from victim navigators at the charity Justice and Care, what steps they are taking to implement the recommendation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee Report, The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again, that "Victim navigators should be rolled out nationally".
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises the importance of supporting victims to engage with the criminal justice system and the positive impact an independent support worker, working alongside law enforcement, can have on securing this engagement.
The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence and Woman and Girls has met with the non-governmental organisation delivering the Victim Navigator Programme to better understand the impact of the programme to inform considerations of how we best support victims.
In addition, all consenting adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in England and Wales, can access specialist need-based support via the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract. In the current Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract support workers are required to signpost and facilitate survivor access to legal advice service, including support by non-governmental organisations, ensuring access to qualified advisors.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports in the Sunday Times on 26 January of forced labour in bakeries supplying high street supermarkets and a McDonald's franchise, what assessment they have made of the benefits of introducing mandatory supply chain due diligence to identify and prevent exploitation of workers.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to identify and prevent exploitation of workers across their operations and supply chains, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools that are emerging, to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices and take action where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal to cover the ancient Roman site at Richborough with solar panels.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Richborough Roman Fort is a scheduled ancient monument protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. We are not aware of any application for solar panels on the site, but are aware of an ongoing planning application in the vicinity of the ancient monument, which is for the Local Planning Authority to decide. It would not be appropriate for the government to comment on an individual planning case such as this, as it may come before Government Ministers for a decision at a later date.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to prevent children being exposed to pornography.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act imposes duties on user-to-user services and publishers of pornography to prevent children encountering pornographic content online using highly effective age assurance.
Ofcom can enforce duties on publishers of pornography from early 2025. The duties for user-to-user services will come into effect by summer 2025.
Additionally, the Independent Pornography Review will assess the effectiveness of pornography legislation, regulation and enforcement. We expect that the independent review will finalise its recommendations in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to tackle the harms of pornography.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act imposes duties on user-to-user services and publishers of pornography to prevent children encountering pornographic content online using highly effective age assurance.
Ofcom can enforce duties on publishers of pornography from early 2025. The duties for user-to-user services will come into effect by summer 2025.
Additionally, the Independent Pornography Review will assess the effectiveness of pornography legislation, regulation and enforcement. We expect that the independent review will finalise its recommendations in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce demand for trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is, with a commitment to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published next year.
The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.
We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that between July to September 2024, sexual exploitation (either partly or wholly) accounted for 17% (697) of all referrals sent to police forces in England and Wales for investigation. Of these, the majority were for females (76%; 528).
Available academic research on prostitution highlights the challenges in estimating prevalence. Research conducted by the University of Bristol focusing on England and Wales was unable to identify a single prevalence estimate. However, it assessed a number of existing national estimates made over the last 20 years which ranged from 35,882 to 104,964, across England and Wales.
Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes financial support and a support worker to help them access wider services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of commercial sexual exploitation in England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is, with a commitment to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published next year.
The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.
We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that between July to September 2024, sexual exploitation (either partly or wholly) accounted for 17% (697) of all referrals sent to police forces in England and Wales for investigation. Of these, the majority were for females (76%; 528).
Available academic research on prostitution highlights the challenges in estimating prevalence. Research conducted by the University of Bristol focusing on England and Wales was unable to identify a single prevalence estimate. However, it assessed a number of existing national estimates made over the last 20 years which ranged from 35,882 to 104,964, across England and Wales.
Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes financial support and a support worker to help them access wider services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they provide to help victims of sexual exploitation exit prostitution.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is, with a commitment to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published next year.
The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.
We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that between July to September 2024, sexual exploitation (either partly or wholly) accounted for 17% (697) of all referrals sent to police forces in England and Wales for investigation. Of these, the majority were for females (76%; 528).
Available academic research on prostitution highlights the challenges in estimating prevalence. Research conducted by the University of Bristol focusing on England and Wales was unable to identify a single prevalence estimate. However, it assessed a number of existing national estimates made over the last 20 years which ranged from 35,882 to 104,964, across England and Wales.
Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes financial support and a support worker to help them access wider services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to prevent organised crime groups advertising victims of trafficking and other sexual exploitation offences on websites advertising prostitution.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government will treat it as the national emergency that it is, with a commitment to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published next year.
The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through law enforcement operational intensifications aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.
We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that between July to September 2024, sexual exploitation (either partly or wholly) accounted for 17% (697) of all referrals sent to police forces in England and Wales for investigation. Of these, the majority were for females (76%; 528).
Available academic research on prostitution highlights the challenges in estimating prevalence. Research conducted by the University of Bristol focusing on England and Wales was unable to identify a single prevalence estimate. However, it assessed a number of existing national estimates made over the last 20 years which ranged from 35,882 to 104,964, across England and Wales.
Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes financial support and a support worker to help them access wider services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.