Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on taking steps to prevent people being sexually exploited on websites advertising prostitution in Gower constituency.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

We continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure there is a relentless pursuit of prolific perpetrators, including through operational intensification initiatives.

We are also clear that online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation and must be responsible and accountable for content on their sites, including taking proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. 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, or face significant penalties.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with ministerial colleagues from other departments, as well as stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls, and to enhance support for victims who are being sexually exploited.