Human Trafficking Mr. Steen To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many referrals of potential victims of trafficking to the National Referral Mechanism (a) a positive conclusive grounds decision has been made, (b) a negative conclusive grounds decision has been made, (c) a decision is pending and (d) no decision has been made. Mr. Woolas [holding answer 18 January 2010]: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009 there have been 527 referrals made to competent authorities within the National Referral Mechanism. The breakdown of decisions are as follows: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Number| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Did not proceed to conclusive grounds (negative at reasonable grounds) |131 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Negative conclusive grounds decision |47 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Positive conclusive grounds decision |85 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Suspended |19 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |No decision recorded |245 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total |527 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notes:1. ‘Suspended’ cases are where the individual has either absconded or is missing prior to a decision being made.2. ‘No decision recorded’ means the decision has not been officially logged with UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC). This is where the reasonable grounds decision is either still being considered or where the decision has yet to be recorded on the UKHTC system.| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------