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Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, if there is a successful operation but the patient develops an infection, how is that counted?
Lord Warner: My Lords, the payment by results system is based on episodes of treatment, which can vary on the case mix. As the noble Baroness knows, we are tackling the issue of infections separately. One of our targets is to reduce infections significantly, and that is taken into account in the performance assessment of the individual hospital trust.
Baroness Tonge: My Lords, I think that I heard the Minister say that he would extend payment by results to acute services. How can one determine whether people are going to become acutely ill? If an area is peculiarly healthy, how will the hospital manage, if it is paid only when people become acutely ill?
Lord Warner: My Lords, I hope that I did not mislead the House—I do not think that I did. I said that we were applying payment by results on the whole to elective surgery and that next year it would be applied to most services in acute and general hospitals. By "acute services" I meant those provided in acute and general hospitals.
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, are the administrators paid by results, and, if not, why not?
Lord Warner: My Lords, we take account of the performance and success of the many senior managers in the NHS at a modest level in terms of the salary arrangements operating.
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People Trafficking
2.59 pm
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking in co-operation with countries in east and south-east Europe to prevent the trafficking of people, and particularly women, into the United Kingdom.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My Lords, the Government are committed to tackling trafficking in human beings and we are working closely with several eastern and south-east European source and transit countries to improve preventive measures and increase prosecutions. The new EU action plan on trafficking, drafted by the UK presidency and adopted on 1 and 2 December, includes actions to prevent trafficking from outside and within the EU.
Lord Hylton: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply. I expect that she is aware that the International Labour Organisation reported that 1,000 victims of trafficking had been helped in just one year while, in London, one criminal gang, when convicted, disclosed that they had brought into this country for exploitation about 600 women. Does that not show the scale of the problem and that trafficking is big business? Does the noble Baroness agree that prevention is far better than dealing with the problem here and that that involves economic development?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I absolutely agree with the noble Lord that this appears to be big business. I am delighted that the arrests made recently were made so efficiently and effectively. Obviously the work that we are doing enables that to happen. But I also agree absolutely with the noble Lord in relation to prevention. He will know that it is for that reason that Reflex has worked very hard on operations. There were 343 operations during 2004-05 which resulted in 1,456 arrests. We are working with Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans, and we have made substantial contributions in those countries to assist them to assist us and them in dealing with this problem more effectively.
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, does the Minister share my concern arising from the previous reply that the latest threat assessment from NCIS states:
"While there have been some law enforcement successes in targeting the traffickers, it appears that prostitutes who are arrested or deported can be replaced within a week"?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, of course that is very distressing, but it is absolutely right that we should continue with the trenchant work that we do through Reflex and through working very carefully and closely with our European and other partners to drive this offence away. The real investment that we
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have made is having very good results, which, as I have just indicated, are very impressive. We of course must do more.
Baroness Turner of Camden: My Lords, is my noble friend not aware that most of the women who are trafficked by these criminals land up in the sex industry? We are very glad when the criminals are arrested, but what happens to the women afterwards? Very often, deporting them back to their country of origin is not appropriate because they will fall into the hands of a criminal mafia again or their families may regard them as dishonoured. Is it possible for them to receive care and rehabilitation in this country since many of them are very young indeed?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, of course my noble friend is right to express the sympathy and concern that we all feel in relation to victims. My noble friend will know that we have published a best practice toolkit on trafficking, which will be a guide for immigration officers, police and others potentially dealing with trafficking. In particular, it will raise awareness of the difference between trafficking and smuggling and help those concerned to treat trafficking victims fairly. Noble Lords will know about the POPPY scheme, which is managed by Eaves Housing for Women in London. We are certainly learning from that. We will evaluate it and see what more can be done.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, what are the Government doing on co-ordination in this country as well as abroad in relation to some of these youngsters? They are children and should not be called prostitutes because they are too young to have put themselves into that position. I know that the noble Baroness will know that work is going on, but many of these are young immigrant children who, after they are seen at the ports, disappear from care and other safe houses. Will she say more about what are we doing to protect those children?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, as the noble Baroness knows, the Government are committed to tackling effectively all aspects of human trafficking, while its prevention is an important part of our strategy. A UK action plan on our trafficking strategy is being developed, for which a public consultation exercise will be launched in the new year.
The noble Baroness is right to point out that children are particularly vulnerable, and we impose stringent penalties on those who exploit them. In addition to the specific trafficking offences set out in the Sexual Offences Act and the Asylum and Immigration Act, both of which cover the trafficking of children, a range of other relevant offences applies. The prevention of human trafficking forms a key element of our justice and home affairs agenda and we will continue to work with the relevant agencies. Since 17 October this year, a team has been operational which involves the following agencies in some capacity: the Metropolitan Police, the Immigration
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and Nationality Directorate, the Department for Education and Skills, social services and the NSPCC. They are working in particular on Operation Paladin, a Reflex-funded operation being undertaken by the Metropolitan Police.
Lord Dholakia: My Lords, we now have the proceeds of crime legislation on the statute book. What arrangements are being made either to recover or at least to get money out of people who have been convicted? Although some heavy sentences have been imposed, it is not clear how much money the police have been able to recover from those who exploit women.
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, the noble Lord is absolutely right. Seizing assets from those people is a way of deterring them from proceeding. Reflex has been successful. In 2004–05, some £4.5 million of criminal assets were seized, which is a good start. Obviously we want to do as much as we can to ensure that criminals do not profit from this very evil trade.
Estate Agents (Independent Redress Scheme) Bill [HL]
3.06 pm
Read a third time; an amendment (privilege) made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.
Terrorism Bill
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now again resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.
Moved, That the House do now again resolve itself into Committee.—(Baroness Scotland of Asthal.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House in Committee accordingly.
[The CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES in the Chair.]
Clause 19 [Consents to prosecutions]:
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