Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring the law in respect of the treatment and care of modern slavery victims in England and Wales in line with the standards in force in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery; ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted. In July 2018, the Government commissioned an independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, led by Frank Field MP, Maria Miller MP and Baroness Butler-Sloss to ensure our legislative framework remains truly world-leading. The Government welcomed the findings of the Independent Review and has accepted or partially accepted the majority of the Review’s recommendations.

The Government also recognises the importance of publishing statutory guidance to ensure that victims are provided with the support they need and deserve. We have made significant progress in developing statutory guidance for England and Wales under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, setting out the indicators someone may be a victim of modern slavery, the support to which victims are entitled, and the process for determining whether someone is a victim. This will be published in the coming months.