Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Bone Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Peter Bone.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

Mr. Speaker, we have a—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The House needs to hear Mr Bone.

[Mr Bone]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have a very courageous Deputy Prime Minister, and may I urge him to continue with House of Lords reform, because he will be a national hero to the 8% who vote Liberal Democrat? On accountability, will he promise that there will be no programme motion so that this House can fully discuss these major constitutional reforms?

--- Later in debate ---

The Attorney-General was asked—

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

1. How many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service brought for human trafficking in the last 12 months.

[Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for human trafficking.

[The Attorney-General (Mr Dominic Grieve)]

The Crown Prosecution Service has charged and prosecuted 133 offences of human trafficking in the past 12 months, 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012. The CPS prosecutes human trafficking-related cases under other legislation as well. The CPS is taking a number of steps to increase prosecutions, but is dependent on cases being referred for investigation by law enforcement agencies.

[Mr Bone]

We have another Minister at the Dispatch Box who is also box office. May I encourage him to look at the problem where police spend time, money and effort breaking up criminal gangs of human traffickers, only for the CPS to charge them with much lesser offences, getting shorter sentences that are no deterrent to the human traffickers? It is essential that we prosecute people for human trafficking. What can the Attorney-General do?