Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Justice and Care report, Issue Brief: Female victims of modern slavery in the UK, published on 6 July; how they intend to address the questions it raises including (1) whether adult British women are missing from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and if so why, (2) why exploitation type is not recorded for such a significant proportion of women and girls, and (3) why female potential victims of sexual exploitation who receive a negative reasonable grounds finding are unable to provide sufficient information.

This Government is committed to ensuring that victims receive timely decisions on their identification so that they can receive support and rebuild their lives.

This Government is aware of the Justice and Care Issue Brief: Female victims of modern slavery in the UK, published on 6 July, and welcomes research which contributes to our understanding of the experiences of victims of modern slavery.

This Government recognises the importance of ensuring that all victims of modern slavery are identified and referred for support where appropriate. Any individual who consents, regardless of nationality, age or gender, may be referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) by an authorised First Responder organisation where there are indicators that they may be a victim of modern slavery.

To assist First Responders, the Home Office recently launched an updated online NRM referral form to improve the quality of referrals and support informed decision making. In addition, the Home Office introduced a First Responder Toolkit to provide clear, practical guidance for First Responders and developed two e-learning modules covering the indicators of modern slavery for adults and children and what to do when First Responders encounter potential victims.

Data on exploitation types reported in NRM publications is based on the information provided in the NRM referral by First Responders. We keep data and evidence relating to the operation of the NRM under review and work closely with statutory agencies, law enforcement, local authorities and the voluntary sector to improve victim identification, including for groups who may face particular barriers to disclosure or engagement with support services.

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of requests for support beyond the 45-day move-on period and whether these are granted following a Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA). The RNA process ensures that confirmed victims can continue to receive support via the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract until they no longer have recovery needs, or until their recovery needs can be met by alternative support services.