Clause 58 - Trafficking into the UK for
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster and Wyre, Labour)
I am grateful for the Committee's support for these amendments. Above all, I am grateful to the Minister and the Government for the clauses as drafted and the historic commitment to combat the trafficking of people into and out of the United Kingdom for sexual purposes. I firmly believe that there is a long way further to go, but it is outside the scope of the Bill to deal with trafficking for purposes of domestic servitude, which is a huge issue. It is also outside the scope of the Bill, but well within that of the excellent Green Paper on children's services that was published last week, to deal with the fact that we do not have an appropriate response to the needs of children who are trafficked into this country.
The clause is important and deals well with an appalling practice. However, it could be strengthened markedly in relation to children with the addition of the words in amendments Nos. 12, 13 and 14, which
would cover children who are trafficked into this country. I do not seek in any way to minimise the abuse that is heaped on adults who are trafficked into this country, but children require special special consideration. Children who are trafficked into this country could be further protected if the people who engage in this wicked crime were subject to a much longer sentence than the summary jurisdiction that would leave them facing only a six-month sentence. I do not want to go around the houses again on the length of sentences given, but it is important to emphasise the seriousness of the offence by ensuring that people who are convicted of it face a substantial period of imprisonment, during which time they will be unable to carry out further offences.