Question reference: S5W-27736
- Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 4 March 2020
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the level of funding provided to charities supporting victims of human trafficking in April 2019 is sufficient to make evidence-based interruptions to the criminal supply chain active in human trafficking, and whether it has plans to renew and broaden the funding and scope of action once the current funding cycle ends at end 2020-21.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that any form of human trafficking or exploitation is completely unacceptable, and funds services to provide vital support to victims of this crime.
In April 2019, Migrant Help and Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) were awarded a combined £1,032,160 for the current financial year to support victims of trafficking and exploitation across Scotland. In November 2019, the Scottish Government awarded a further £85,334 to reflect an increase in numbers accessing these services through the National Referral Mechanism. Officials are in regular contact with both organisations and levels of funding are continually under review.
The Scottish Government are also providing £120,000 this financial year to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to provide a national psychological trauma support service to adult trafficking victims. The Scottish Guardianship Service (SGS) has provided support to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, including victims of child trafficking, since 2010. The Scottish Government is providing SGS with funding of £300,000 in 2019-20.
The Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy, published in 2017, sets out the framework within which partners across Scotland are tackling human trafficking by supporting and protecting victims, disrupting the activities of perpetrators and addressing the conditions which foster trafficking.
Funding for these bodies is specifically for supporting victims of trafficking and exploitation; they are not directly involved in interrupting the criminal supply chain. However, a wide range of activity by the Scottish Government and partners has been undertaken to improve evidence-based interventions and address human trafficking in supply chains. Detail of this work can be found in the two annual progress reports on implementation of the Strategy: https://www.gov.scot/policies/human-trafficking/trafficking-and-exploitation-strategy/.
Under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, the Strategy must be reviewed within three years of publication. A comprehensive engagement process to gather views from a variety of groups and individuals including survivors, support organisations and key partners is ongoing.
The current three-year funding agreement for Migrant Help and TARA runs until 31 March 2021 and decisions on future arrangements will be considered following the Strategy review and as part of the 2021-22 Draft Budget process.