To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of children trafficked into the UK in the last five years. (76842)

[holding answer 15 June 2006]: We have no centrally collated data on the numbers of children trafficked into the UK. The Home Office recognises there is an urgent need to improve its intelligence on this issue and for this reason has commissioned a scoping project in partnership with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) to estimate the scale and nature of the problem including source countries. Additionally newly established Minors Intelligence Teams based at Croydon and Liverpool asylum screening units now provide monthly reports on children who have been identified as being at risk, including those that they believe have been trafficked.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, columns 1840-41W, on people trafficking, what proposals for combating human trafficking were discussed at the G8 meeting on 15 and 16 June. (81827)

[holding answer 3 July 2006]: Both the Attorney General and my hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety addressed the issue of human trafficking when addressing G8 Justice and Interior Ministers in Moscow 15 and 16 June. They urged that the G8 step up its work in tackling organised human trafficking and referred to a UK-led project to establish ways of further enhancing cooperation and the exchange of intelligence to combat organised trafficking and smuggling.

G8 Justice and Interior Ministers stressed the importance of cooperation with Interpol as well as Europol to enhance the efficiency of cooperation in the fight against smuggling and human trafficking and the use of the Interpol Lost, Stolen and Invalid Passports Database. They also called for increased interaction with relevant UN institutions, as well as the International Organization for Migration, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Maritime Organization, and the Europol in combating illegal migration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to meet their obligations under Section 7 of the Council of the European Union’s Framework Decision on combating trafficking in human beings to ensure appropriate assistance is provided for the families of child victims of trafficking. (79229)

[holding answer 21 June 2006]: The Council of the European Union’s Framework Decision on combating the trafficking in human beings, places certain obligations on member states to criminalise and prosecute traffickers, and to protect and support victims of trafficking. Under Article 7, paragraph 3 (Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA) member states are obliged to take the measures possible to ensure appropriate assistance for the family of a child victim of trafficking.

All agencies and organisations within the criminal justice system aim to work in partnership to meet the needs of all victims of crime, including young victims. Advice and information will be offered to families in line with the detailed provisions of Article 4, (Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA), cross referenced in Article 7 (Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA), on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of trafficking people since Sections 4 and 5 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 came into force. (78813)

[holding answer 20 June 2006]: To date there have been no prosecutions or convictions for trafficking under section 4 and 5 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004.