Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many non-governmental organisations they consulted prior to approaching the NSPCC to run a human trafficking hotline.

We are working with the NSPCC to pilot a Modern Slavery Helpline as part of a wider communications and marketing campaign, to raise awareness of modern slavery. The NSPCC will be given funding of up to £50,000 for one year to host the helpline. We have engaged NSPCC by means of a formal Grant Agreement, not a Contract, which will be managed using standard Home Office grant terms and conditions in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money. On this occasion, no other organisations were invited to submit delivery proposals.

The helpline will be established by the end of July 2014. We will work with a number of non-governmental organisations, prior to the launch of the helpline, to ensure that callers to the helpline have access to a range of organisations that can provide additional help, advice and support.

Our longer term requirements for a helpline will be considered as part of the National Referral Mechanism review, which will conclude later this year.