Human Trafficking: North Eastern Region

Mr. Nicholas Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent of human trafficking in the north-east of England; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Coaker
While there are no firm figures given a regional breakdown of the problem, emerging findings from a Home Office research paper due to be published later this year estimates, that at any one time in 2003 there were in the region of 4,000 female victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.

The United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre in conjunction with the Serious Organised Crime Agency are working to improve intelligence collection across the UK on human trafficking. However the nature of the crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem in different areas.