Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 October 2007.

People Trafficking

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether sufficient, securely funded, safe accommodation exists to protect known victims of trafficking; and, if not, what proposals they have for such accommodation.

Answer: The Government currently core fund the Poppy project to provide adult women trafficked into sexual exploitation with secure accommodation, one-to-one intensive crisis support, outreach support and a resettlement service. This year, an additional £100,000 was invested to top-up the £2.4 million annual grant, to increase the capacity of the project during the national enforcement campaign Operation Pentameter 2. Victims who choose to claim asylum are eligible for asylum support and may benefit from the Poppy project outreach service. Additionally, some victims are accommodated through other local voluntary and community sector organisations or, where eligible, through local authorities. The United Kingdom was a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in March 2007, which sets out minimum obligations in relation to the protection and support of all identified victims of trafficking. The Government are committed to implementing these measures which will enhance existing support arrangements.

Secondary information