Immigration Bill — Requirement to Appoint Child Trafficking Guardian to Apply to England and Wales Only — 7 May 2014 at 17:53

The majority of MPs voted to require a child trafficking guardian to be appointed to represent the best interests of potential child victims of trafficking in human beings everywhere in the UK, not just in England and Wales.

MPs were considering the Immigration Bill^[1]. The motion accepted in this vote was:

• That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 24.

Amendment 24 stated^[2]:

• Page 53, line 7, after “54” insert “, section (Child trafficking guardians for all potential child victims of trafficking in human beings)

Had it not been rejected this would have added the above text to clause 69^[4] of the Bill; subsection 3 of clause 69 originally stated:

• (3) Section 54 and Schedule 6 extend to England and Wales only.

Had the Lords' amendment been accepted it would have added the section on Child trafficking guardians for all potential child victims of trafficking in human beings, that was introduced later^[5] to the list of provisions only applying to England and Wales.

During the debate David Hanson MP suggested a system of appointing child trafficking guardians already existed in Scotland

• Trafficked children who arrive in Scotland value the care and support that they receive from their appointed guardians.

As it was the clause on Child Trafficking Guardians was rejected in another vote held at the same time.

==

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Immigration Bill
• [2] Lords' Amendments to the Immigration Bill - 9 April 2014
• [3] Page of Lords' Amendments to the Immigration Bill - 9 April 2014 containing amendment 24
• [4] Clause 69 of the Immigration Bill on which the amendment would have had effect
• [5] Clause of Immigration Bill on Child trafficking guardians for all potential child victims of trafficking in human beings

Debate in Parliament | Source |