BICENTENARY OF THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE ACT 1807

Early day motion 1207, tabled 23 March 2007 by Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Conservative). Signed by 70 members.

That this House notes that 25th March is the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807; notes with alarm the growing spread of people-trafficking as modern-day slavery; notes in particular the infamous status of people-trafficking as the fastest growing crime in the world, with at least one person being trafficked every minute of every day, and increasingly the largest source of income for criminals, generating over £20 billion a year in criminal proceeds; commends the work of the vast variety of organisations, such as the members of the Stop The Traffick coalition, seeking to prevent the sale of people, prosecute the traffickers and protect the victims; and calls on the Government to use the bicentenary as a spur to redouble efforts to stop the traffic in human beings, by in the first instance implementing the recommendations of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Signatures by party: Labour 26, Liberal Democrat 17, Conservative 16, DUP 5, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.