"Councils will not tolerate the exploitation of people in their communities and are committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society."
Responding to a report by the Public Accounts Committee on modern slavery, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, Cllr Simon Blackburn, said:
“Councils will not tolerate the exploitation of people in their communities and are committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society.
“However we are concerned that the current framework to support victims, the National Referral Mechanism, is unable to manage the high number of referrals, which has almost trebled since 2013. It is vital the Government presses on with its plans to reform this so it can meet victims’ needs.
“These reforms must be backed up with resources. Councils can play a key role in supporting trafficking victims, but we would like to see the Government provide clarity over how local authorities are expected to respond and for these responsibilities to be properly funded.
“It is also deeply worrying that the rise in referrals indicates a significant number of child victims of trafficking. Councils are determined to protect children in their communities, but with children’s services facing a funding gap of around £2 billion by 2020, this is extremely challenging.”