Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which Minister was responsible for approving the reduction to subsistence allowances for victims of modern slavery; and whether the Prime Minister was advised of this decision.

he Government is committed to tacking the scourge of modern slavery and supporting those affected by this crime.

In 2017, Home Office Ministers agreed a comprehensive package of reforms to the National Referral Mechanism, which included the introduction of places of safety for those leaving situations of exploitation, trebling the period of move on support to assist victims moving out of government funded support and aligning the subsistence rates paid to potential victims of modern slavery with those received by asylum seekers.

In light of the judgment in K and AM, the Home Office has immediately reinstated the top up paid to those in the Victim Care Contract who are also receiving support from the asylum support system, so that they receive a total of £65 per week.

We are currently putting in place processes to ensure that those who have been affected receive a full back payment as soon as possible, and will set out how we plan to respond in due course, including our communications with all those affected.

We are committed to reforming the National Referral Mechanism to ensure that as many victims of modern slavery as possible get the support they need.