Legal background
8 The intention to introduce a Modern Slavery Bill was announced by the Home Secretary on 25th August 2013. The Home Secretary subsequently announced a series of evidence sessions to gather information to support pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill, led by Frank Field MP. A report from the evidence sessions was published on 16th December. A draft Bill was published on 16th December and was the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny, with the Joint Committee publishing its report on 8th April. To ensure the Bill is also informed by international best practice and the challenges faced in key source and transit countries, Anthony Steen, Chair of the Human Trafficking Foundation, was also commissioned as the Home Secretary’s special envoy to report back on a series of international visits.
9 In January 2014 the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery produced a report in which it was stated: