Oral Answers to Questions

Seema Kennedy Excerpts

Thursday 8th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[James Cleverly (Braintree) (Con)]

6. What steps the Government are taking to increase the number of prosecutions for modern slavery.

[Seema Kennedy (South Ribble) (Con)]

8. What steps the Government are taking to increase the number of prosecutions for modern slavery.

[Mr Speaker]

Good; and the hon. Gentleman may be learned, but if not, I am sure it is only a matter of time.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

No doubt.

[Seema Kennedy]

Can my hon. and learned Friend tell me a bit more about what the Crown Prosecution Service is doing to prosecute this type of offence in the north-west of England?

[The Solicitor General]

I note my hon. Friend’s interest as a north-west MP, and I am happy to tell her that under the new modern slavery offence, eight charges were laid in the north-west region and eight offences in the Mersey-Cheshire region, plus other offences under older legislation, in the past year. Only last month three people were convicted of modern-day slavery and human trafficking in Liverpool and were sentenced to a total of seven years and three months’ imprisonment.