4. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plan to sign the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings. (85248)

The UK is currently considering whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking. The Government are examining how the convention’s approach could best be harmonised with effective immigration controls. The responses to the recent consultation paper on a proposed UK Action Plan on trafficking in humans will assist the Government in taking a decision on signature.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency, together with the new UK Human Trafficking Centre, is at the forefront of tackling human trafficking within Europe. We have today launched a consultation paper setting out a further package of measures, such as increased data sharing and organised crime civil orders, aimed at helping law enforcement agencies better target and disrupt the activities of organised criminals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken through (a) education programmes and (b) public campaigns to raise awareness of human trafficking. (82669)

One of the aims of the recent police led multi-agency operation (called Operation Pentameter) which aimed at tackling trafficking for sexual exploitation was to raise awareness of the issue among the public and key stakeholders to be followed by a series of enforcement campaigns across the country. Examples of materials produced by Pentameter include posters in ports of entry in a variety of different languages and leaflets handed out to passengers at ports highlighting the dangers of trafficking.

Work abroad is also undertaken by the Home Office, in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development to prevent trafficking by investing in projects in key source and transit countries to raise awareness of trafficking.

In the recent consultation on proposals for a UK Action Plan on Human Trafficking views were invited on how to raise awareness among potential trafficking victims about the risks of being trafficked. A summary of responses was published on 21 June and the suggestions put forward will be considered in developing the final UK action plan to be published later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding will be allocated to the UK Human Trafficking Centre in each of the next five years. (82667)

The total amount of funding for UK policing, provided directly from the Home Office (Project Reflex) amounts to £5.7 million per annum and is allocated until 2008. The UK Human Trafficking Centre will be funded from within this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Right of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography to be ratified by the UK. (77174)

The Home Office is undertaking a review to determine the extent to which the United Kingdom complies with the Articles set out in the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Government is keen to ratify the Optional Protocol as soon as possible but also wants to ensure that there are no gaps in the measures which exist to protect children in the way the Protocol intended. Once the Government are confident that the United Kingdom is fully compliant, the Optional Protocol will be ratified.