MISSING TRAFFICKED CHILDREN AND FOSTER CARE

Early day motion 2074, tabled 19 October 2009 by Peter Bone (Conservative). Signed by 73 members.

That this House welcomes the Government's recent efforts to highlight and combat the urgent issue of children being trafficked to the UK; is deeply concerned by the high numbers of these children who once identified go missing from local authority care; notes that child victims of trafficking who are not being appropriately supported or protected are vulnerable to further exploitation from their traffickers who, in the Home Affairs Committee's words, use the `care home system for vulnerable children as holding pens for their victims until they are ready to pick them up'; and calls on the Government to meet its commitment to all children in the UK by urgently launching an inquiry into the number of suspected trafficked children going missing and ensuring local authorities have the resources and expertise to provide foster care to all child victims of trafficking.

Signatures by party: Labour 33, Liberal Democrat 21, Conservative 6, DUP 5, Independent 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent Labour 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Respect 1.