Drugs: Organised Crime

(asked on 22nd January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle sexual exploitation occurring as a result of county lines activity.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 28th January 2019

The Government recognises the devastating impact of county lines activity on children and vulnerable people which can include both sexual and criminal exploitation.

The Government has provided £3.6m to establish the new National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) to enhance our cross border intelligence and activity on county lines and to better safeguard and protect victims of county lines. Work is ongoing to protect the exploited and target the offenders, and in its first week of intensification there were 505 arrests and 320 individuals safeguarded.
In addition, the Government provides a range of support for county lines victims including: funding Young People’s Advocates in Birmingham, Manchester and London to provide help and support for young people exploited through county lines; funding through the Trusted Relationships fund of £13 million over two years to help foster relationships between frontline professionals and young people at risk of exploitation including county lines; and we have provided £17.7m of funding for 29 projects through the Early Intervention Youth Fund over two years of which six will specifically address those at risk of involvement in county lines and criminal exploitation.

Reticulating Splines