§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to legislate on trafficking people; and if the Government will incorporate the definition set out in the European framework. [31638]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthEffective legislation to criminalise and punish trafficking in human beings is an essential component of any strategy to tackle this crime. Such a strategy must also encompass effective enforcement, alongside support and assistance for victims, prevention and education.
United Kingdom Ministers were among the first to sign the Trafficking Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and are committed to implementing its measures, one of which is the introduction of trafficking offences. The European Union Framework Decision on trafficking in human beings has been provisionally agreed by the Justice and Home Affairs Council and will he formally adopted by the Council as a legally binding document in the near future.
870WWe will introduce legislation on the trafficking offences as soon as parliamentary time permits and will ensure that it meets the requirements necessary to implement the European Union Framework Decision.