The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime, including where exploitation has taken place under the guise of legitimate businesses, such as massage parlours. We are determined to safeguard victims and to bring the ruthless perpetrators of this crime to justice.

In December 2025, the Government committed within the “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, to address many aspects of prostitution and sexual exploitation within England and Wales. Commitments include reviewing legislation, raising awareness among frontline agencies of what constitutes adult sexual exploitation, and strengthening police disruption of sexual exploitation. Further details on each of these commitments will be announced in due course.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council have developed a new framework for investigating modern slavery and includes a suite of products to guide forces to identify and tackle sexual exploitation. The framework provides a nationally consistent investigative framework to sustain progress and support forces in delivering a strong, evidence-based response to modern slavery, including sexual exploitation. This will further equip officers with practical tools for navigating modern slavery crimes and fill critical gaps in frontline knowledge to drive performance and support greater accountability.

We will work closely with the new National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Modern Slavery and police forces across England and Wales to support a strong, coordinated approach to ensuring that modern slavery is effectively identified, disrupted, and tackled.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for licensing arrangements for local authorities, and it would be for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine whether those powers are adequate. We will continue to work closely across government to ensure there is a coordinated response to modern slavery and human trafficking.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime, including where exploitation has taken place under the guise of legitimate businesses, such as massage parlours. We are determined to safeguard victims and to bring the ruthless perpetrators of this crime to justice.

In December 2025, the Government committed within the “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, to address many aspects of prostitution and sexual exploitation within England and Wales. Commitments include reviewing legislation, raising awareness among frontline agencies of what constitutes adult sexual exploitation, and strengthening police disruption of sexual exploitation. Further details on each of these commitments will be announced in due course.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council have developed a new framework for investigating modern slavery and includes a suite of products to guide forces to identify and tackle sexual exploitation. The framework provides a nationally consistent investigative framework to sustain progress and support forces in delivering a strong, evidence-based response to modern slavery, including sexual exploitation. This will further equip officers with practical tools for navigating modern slavery crimes and fill critical gaps in frontline knowledge to drive performance and support greater accountability.

We will work closely with the new National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Modern Slavery and police forces across England and Wales to support a strong, coordinated approach to ensuring that modern slavery is effectively identified, disrupted, and tackled.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for licensing arrangements for local authorities, and it would be for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine whether those powers are adequate. We will continue to work closely across government to ensure there is a coordinated response to modern slavery and human trafficking.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime, including where exploitation has taken place under the guise of legitimate businesses, such as massage parlours. We are determined to safeguard victims and to bring the ruthless perpetrators of this crime to justice.

In December 2025, the Government committed within the “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, to address many aspects of prostitution and sexual exploitation within England and Wales. Commitments include reviewing legislation, raising awareness among frontline agencies of what constitutes adult sexual exploitation, and strengthening police disruption of sexual exploitation. Further details on each of these commitments will be announced in due course.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council have developed a new framework for investigating modern slavery and includes a suite of products to guide forces to identify and tackle sexual exploitation. The framework provides a nationally consistent investigative framework to sustain progress and support forces in delivering a strong, evidence-based response to modern slavery, including sexual exploitation. This will further equip officers with practical tools for navigating modern slavery crimes and fill critical gaps in frontline knowledge to drive performance and support greater accountability.

We will work closely with the new National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Modern Slavery and police forces across England and Wales to support a strong, coordinated approach to ensuring that modern slavery is effectively identified, disrupted, and tackled.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for licensing arrangements for local authorities, and it would be for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine whether those powers are adequate. We will continue to work closely across government to ensure there is a coordinated response to modern slavery and human trafficking.

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.

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.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided to Question 32987 on 10 March.

This government is proud of our record to reduce the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) backlog and ensure victims of modern slavery receive certainty in a timely fashion. There has been a decrease to the backlog of 84% since the peak in 2022.

Adult victims receive support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) and through wider state services. Victims supported by the MSVCC will currently continue to receive support following a positive Conclusive Grounds decision where needs are identified through the Recovery Needs Assessment process. There is no overall limit on time in support.

The new Support for Victims of Modern Slavery contract (due to come into force in 2027) will further improve the needs-based support for adults.

Victims who receive a negative Conclusive Grounds decision will continue to be provided with up to 14 working days of move-on support from the date of receipt of the decision.

Child victims are supported through a range of systems, including statutory local authority support and the Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service. ICTGs are currently available in two-thirds of Local Authorities, but from Spring 2027 they will be nationally available across England and Wales. There is no time limit on support provided to children and ICTG support will cease once the child has met one of the exit criteria set out within ICTG Interim Guidance.

We do not publish data on the number of individuals across individual Immigration routes who have been recognised as victims of modern slavery.

An established process exists whereby UKVI are notified of such individuals and promptly review and respond to all concerns identified which includes investigating the Sponsor Licence Holder and applying the maximum sanctions available to us in these cases. Our current safeguarding and harm reduction processes often result in compliance action being resolved against the Sponsor Licence Holder prior to conclusive grounds decisions being made.

We do not publish data on the number of individuals across individual Immigration routes who have been recognised as victims of modern slavery.

An established process exists whereby UKVI are notified of such individuals and promptly review and respond to all concerns identified which includes investigating the Sponsor Licence Holder and applying the maximum sanctions available to us in these cases. Our current safeguarding and harm reduction processes often result in compliance action being resolved against the Sponsor Licence Holder prior to conclusive grounds decisions being made.