Protecting the vulnerable and tackling MSHT is a top priority for Border Force. As First Responders, frontline Border Force Officers play a key role in identifying both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking as they seek to cross the UK border. Border Force work to prevent exploitation from happening, to safeguard and protect vulnerable persons and in collaboration with other law enforcement colleagues seek to bring to justice those who commit MSHT crime. All frontline Border Force officers are trained to spot the signs of MSHT and make necessary safeguarding referrals. Border Force also has a cadre of over 500 specialist Safeguarding & Modern Slavery (SAMS) officers.

All Border Force safeguarding and Modern Slavery training is reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to fulfil those ICIBI (Independent Chief Inspector for Borders & Immigration) and IASC (Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner) expectations which the Home Office has accepted.

Please refer to the answer for PQ 91839.

The UK is committed to reducing the disproportional impact of conflict on women and children through championing the crucial role they can play in conflict prevention and resolution, and building on the commitments made through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies. The UK is a world leader on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), including at the UN Security Council, and on tackling sexual violence in conflict through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). The UK's fourth National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security recognises the specific impacts of conflict on women and girls and outlines the UK's approach to support women and girls to exercise their human rights. For example, in Yemen the UK has supported the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities' (UNFPA) Global Programme to End Child Marriage until the end of 2020, providing 5,000 adolescent girls in Yemen, with life skills training and services for psychosocial support. The UK is an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict.

The UK is deeply concerned about the current levels of violence throughout Afghanistan, including targeted attacks on civilians, which risk undermining peace efforts. There is an urgent need for a reduction in violence, leading to a comprehensive ceasefire, and meaningful engagement in a political process that can deliver the peace that Afghans want and deserve. In discussions with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar on 18 January and 11 February respectively, the Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon expressed the UK's condemnation of the increasing violence faced by the people of Afghanistan.

The UK is committed to supporting security and stability in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, on 26 February. He reiterated the UK's longstanding support for the Afghan government's fight against the Taliban as part of the NATO coalition. There are around 750 UK troops in Afghanistan as part of NATO's mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces. British military personnel act as advisors to Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) and lead the Kabul Security Force, which protects and enables NATO advisers, improving security in the capital. The UK will continue to help sustain the ANDSF, including through funding and other support, as they work to ensure the protection of civilians, lasting peace and long-term security and stability for the benefit of all Afghans.

The UK calls on all the parties to the conflict to respect human rights and comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). All parties to the conflict must stop and investigate any attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The UK fully supports UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths' efforts to bring the parties to the table to negotiate a lasting peace agreement. The only sustainable way to protect civilians and bring long-term stability to Yemen is an inclusive political settlement and an end to the conflict.

The UK continues to highlight violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria. We support accountability efforts for the most serious crimes committed in Syria and have contributed over £13 million since 2012 in support of efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations. UK support to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability has contributed to the first successful convictions of crimes perpetrated in Syria: a former member of Daesh and a Syrian official Anwar Raslan were both found guilty of crimes against humanity in Germany in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

More widely, the UK is also at the forefront of the humanitarian response, as one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis. The UK focuses on helping those most in need, and is driving the wider international humanitarian response to do the same. We have spent over £3.5 billion in response to the regional Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis and our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians.

Last year, the Government successfully rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to one third of local authorities in England and Wales.

The next ICTG evaluation, which will have a particular focus on the role and impact of the Regional Practice Co-ordinator, is due to be published later in the year.

The continued national roll-out of ICTGs will be progressed as part of the recently established NRM Transformation Programme, which is designed to make sure we have a system that effectively identifies and delivers needs-based support for child and adult victims of modern slavery, is legally robust, sustainable and resilient to misuse. We will continue to review how the needs of individual children are best met at local level through the programme.

In accordance with the principle of open justice, defendants in criminal cases are not granted automatic anonymity, for any offence, if they are over the age of 18. The court has the power to grant discretionary reporting restrictions to prevent the name of the defendant being published in exceptional circumstances; this would be considered if revealing the identity of the defendant would pose a real risk to the administration of justice. The Government is not considering granting defendants automatic anonymity.

However, suspects who have not yet been charged with a criminal offence should not be routinely named. The identity of a suspect should only be released if there is a compelling reason to do so, for example if they pose a risk to the public.

The majority of support services for victims of crime are provided or commissioned by Police and Crime Commissioners through grant funding provided by the Ministry of Justice. This includes services to support the bereaved families of victims of road crime.

We have already had exchanges across the Chamber on the move to electric vehicles. The investments of recent days are moving us towards a clean and green fleet. With his industrial interests, I know that the hon. Gentleman welcomes that.

That was an ingenious piece of shoehorning, I must say. Part of our commitment is to make sure that we have a free trade agreement with the rest of the European Union that allows us to continue to serve markets right across Europe and the world. If the hon. Gentleman looks at the success of employment, including in his constituency in recent months, he will see that companies are employing people at rates not seen for many years.

As with all policies, the Government keeps its policy towards digital currencies under review. The Government recognises the significant benefits that digital currencies and the related technology could bring, as well as potential challenges. The Government is monitoring the situation, and believes any regulation should be proportionate and risk-based.

The new computing curriculum was introduced in September 2014 and includes e-safety, using technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, at all Key Stages. The e-safety content was developed with input from experts including Childnet, NSPCC and the UK Safer Internet Centre. The computing curriculum is compulsory in state maintained schools and free schools and academies may use it as a benchmark.

There is progression in the e-safety content across the key stages to reflect the different and escalating risks that young people face as they get older. From Key Stage 1, children are taught how to keep personal information private, and where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies, which could include social media apps. The introduction of e-safety content in Key Stages 1 and 2 reflects the fact that children are increasingly using technology and social media from a young age, and it is intended to inform pupils of good practice in staying safe online from an early age.

The Internet Safety Strategy, which will look at how best to prepare parents/carers and children to successfully manage online risks including those presented by social media, will be published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the autumn.

I understand entirely the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. He will recognise that in a criminal trial it is necessary that the defence case is put. That is what we need to see in order to make sure that the process is fair, but we are doing what we can to ensure that the experience of those who are in court not of their own volition—because they are the victim of an offence or a witness to it—is as easy as it can be, although we accept that it will never be wholly easy.

This Government is committed to supporting vulnerable people at court, including victims of domestic abuse. The family courts take the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously. There is a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic abuse and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate. The Government is working with the judiciary to consider what additional protections may be necessary.

Without commenting on that particular case, which is before me at the moment—I will be making a decision by mid-November—the hon. Gentleman is right that those are the kinds of things that judges need to look at. They are the things that the judicial system does look at, and that is one of things that has come out of the change that was made when Parliament voted on this not that long ago.

A judge must consider various statutory bars to extradition. It must be refused if a judge finds that it would be incompatible with a person’s human rights or an individual’s physical or mental condition, meaning that it would be unjust or oppressive to extradite.

Yes, I have regular conversations with the Secretary of State. As with other areas of local government responsibility, sometimes its responsibilities cross the lines of departmental boundaries. We make sure, very particularly, that we join that up and reflect in the responsibilities and the funding of local government the full range of its commitments and needs.

During his meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on 5 January and in London on 4 February, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), stressed the importance of respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all residents of Hong Kong. He also made clear our expectations that the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law for Hong Kong should be respected. During those meetings, China reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.

During the visit to London by Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung on 15 and 16 October 2015, the Foreign Secretary and I also discussed with him the importance of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the need to preserve the rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Joint Declaration.

The Foreign Secretary’s most recent six-monthly report to the House, published on 11 February (covering the period 1 July–31 December 2015), urged “the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments to reassure the people of Hong Kong that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents will continue to be fully protected, and respected by all, in accordance with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law.” The report also stated that “while we assess that during the reporting period ‘One Country, Two Systems’ has, in very many areas, continued to function well, there have been some areas which have given grounds for concern. These revolve principally around the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, including academic freedom and the freedom of the press.” We will continue to raise such issues with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.

We aim to provide consular assistance to all British citizens, and to dual nationals in their country of other nationality in exceptional circumstances, in line with our consular guidance. We acknowledge that some countries do not accept dual nationality.

In the case of British citizen Mr Lee Po, the Government continues to call at the highest level on the Chinese Government for his
immediate return to Hong Kong. Despite formal requests which we continue to make, we have not been granted consular access to Mr Lee. We also stand ready to provide consular assistance to Mr Lee’s family.

The Government will continue to monitor rights and freedoms in Hong Kong through the Foreign Secretary’s six-monthly reports.

The full report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-july-to-december-2015

I have enormous respect for both Eileen Munro and Caitlin Moran in The Times, and I have been influenced by both of them in different ways. I should stress that we are not proposing the handing over of services that are there to protect vulnerable children to people who are after a fast buck. We have an innovation programme that has been endorsed by many leading organisations, charities and third sector organisations that work with the most vulnerable children. The problem at the moment is that far too many local authorities either require improvement or are very poor in the way in which they look after these vulnerable children. We need to work with external organisations to ensure that those children have the best possible future.