Written questions by Harris.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the exploitation of people working illegally.

As already announced, through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, the Government is introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.We have expanded our work across government and with law enforcement partners to target, investigate and enforce penalties on unscrupulous employers who illegally employ those with no right to work here.We are stopping exploitation by criminal gangs, ensuring vulnerable people receive the correct support and making sure that those who break the law face serious consequences.

With reference to the recommendations of the Thirty-Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2024-25 on Immigration: Skilled worker visas, HC 819, and the white paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, CP 1326, what steps her Department is taking to facilitate migrant care workers to move to new sponsors.

The standard cancellation activity for care workers impacted by revocation of the sponsor’s licence has been temporarily paused to enable the workers to find alternative employment. When an Adult Social Care sponsor is revoked, UKVI write to all the impacted workers individually to signpost them to direct support provided by the relevant regional partnerships when in England and to a specified mailbox in Scotland.In addition to this, UKVI have agreed a process with the Regional Partnerships to expedite the associated applications for displaced workers, waiving the usual premium service fees that would be associated with either sponsor licence applications, certificate of sponsorship applications and visa applications.The Regional Partnerships have a nominated official within UKVI who they are able to contact directly to seek support relating to care workers impacted by a revocation.

With reference to the recommendations of the Thirty-Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2024-25 on Immigration: Skilled worker visas, HC 819, what arrangements are in place to safeguard international social care workers when sponsors’ licences are revoked beyond regional partnerships funded by the Department for Health and Social Care; and whether she is taking steps to strengthen those arrangements.

The standard cancellation activity for care workers impacted by revocation of the sponsor’s licence has been temporarily paused to enable the workers to find alternative employment. When an Adult Social Care sponsor is revoked, UKVI write to all the impacted workers individually to signpost them to direct support provided by the relevant regional partnerships when in England and to a specified mailbox in Scotland.In addition to this, UKVI have agreed a process with the Regional Partnerships to expedite the associated applications for displaced workers, waiving the usual premium service fees that would be associated with either sponsor licence applications, certificate of sponsorship applications and visa applications.The Regional Partnerships have a nominated official within UKVI who they are able to contact directly to seek support relating to care workers impacted by a revocation.

How many victims of modern slavery were granted temporary leave to remain under section 65 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 for (a) assisting a person in their recovery from any physical or psychological harm arising from the relevant exploitation, (b) enabling a person to seek compensation in respect of the relevant exploitation and (c) enabling a person to co-operate with a public authority in connection with an investigation or criminal proceedings in respect of the relevant exploitation in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.

The requested data is not currently available in a verified and published form. Other data on modern slavery can be found at National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK.

What assessment she has made of the impact of negative conclusive grounds decisions under the National Referral Mechanism on vulnerable individuals.

From January 2020 to September 2024, there were 70,790 referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These have seen a continued increase.In the same period, there were 51,850 positive reasonable grounds decisions made, and 34,254 conclusive groun...

What assessment she has made of the impact of (a) the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and (b) the Illegal Migration Act 2023 on decisions made under the National Referral Mechanism.

From January 2020 to September 2024, there were 70,790 referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These have seen a continued increase.In the same period, there were 51,850 positive reasonable grounds decisions made, and 34,254 conclusive groun...

What estimate she has made of the number of (a) positive reasonable grounds decisions and (b) conclusive grounds decisions which have been made under the National Referral Mechanism between 2020 and 2

From January 2020 to September 2024, there were 70,790 referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These have seen a continued increase.In the same period, there were 51,850 positive reasonable grounds decisions made, and 34,254 conclusive groun...

What support the Government is providing to help victims of sexual exploitation exit prostitution.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of our levers available to deliver. The Government is wo...

What assessment she has made of the scale of commercial sexual exploitation across the country.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of our levers available to deliver. The Government is wo...

What steps her Department is taking to prevent organised crime groups from advertising victims of (a) trafficking and (b) other sexual exploitation offences on websites advertising prostitution.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of our levers available to deliver. The Government is wo...

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce demand for trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of our levers available to deliver. The Government is wo...