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Proceeding contribution from Anthony Steen (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Friday, 5 February 2010. It occurred during Debate on bill on Anti-Slavery Day Bill.


Anti-Slavery Day Bill

I assume from what the Minister is saying that he acknowledges that modern-day slavery crosses frontiers, but believes that there is no point in this country having a ring of steel around our borders if other countries are porous to human trafficking. Does he agree, therefore, that a major task for the European Commission is to stop funding conferences, seminars and research and to start giving money to NGOs and other organisations involved in the real fight against trafficking? For a very long time, the European Commission has spent money on things that are perfectly agreeable, so that there is a circus of attending seminars going on around Europe. People stop off at each country; they see each other; then they move on. Very few organisations, however, are doing the work that needs to be done and those that are trying to do it cannot get funding from the Commission because it favours conferences, seminars and a research approach rather than doing something to tackle the problem.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
505 c562 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Children Anniversaries Women Fraud Education Immigration controls Expenditure Drugs Human trafficking Forced labour Slavery Victim support schemes Refuges Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings Exploitation
Legislation
Anti-slavery Day Bill 2009-10
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk