To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding has been allocated in the current and last year for the Metropolitan Police Human Trafficking Unit; whether they will maintain that funding; and whether the knowledge of the Metropolitan Police of human trafficking is shared with other police services. [HL3795]

Following negotiations with the Metropolitan Police, as a result of which the Met found some money within their existing budget to continue funding anti human trafficking work, the Home Office agreed on an exceptional basis to provide an additional £435,000 for the current financial year.

Human trafficking is core police business. However, this money was granted in consideration of the fact that the Met, unlike the other forces, could not mainstream this work by the end of the last financial year and on the clear understanding that all anti human trafficking work within the Met would be met from within its existing budget from 1 April 2010 onwards.

The Metropolitan Police has developed a good relationship with the UK Human Trafficking Centre, which is the acknowledged centre of expertise on human trafficking issues and was established to co-ordinate the law enforcement response to this crime.