There are 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK, according to 2014 figures from the Home Office.
In 2014, the Home Office introduced a Modern Slavery Strategy to tackle forced labour, servitude and human trafficking in the UK. The Modern Slavery Act was passed on 2015, giving substance to the strategy, and creating providing for an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to work with law enforcement, private sector and victims to ensure the UK does all it can to tackle the problem.
The National Audit Office published a report in December 2017 examining the Home Office's progress in reducing modern slavery. It found that the Department had laid good foundations, but that there remained administrative problems. These included a complex referrals process, inconsistent quality of data, and weak understanding of how much victim support services would cost.
The Committee will take evidence from the Home Office, the National Crime Agency, and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (whose office was set up by the 2015 Act).