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Sex Trafficking: Scotland
21 April 2026
Lead MP
Tracy Gilbert
Edinburgh North and Leith
Lab
Responding Minister
Gregor Poynton
Tags
ImmigrationCrime & Law EnforcementNHS
Word Count: 3716
Other Contributors: 3
At a Glance
Tracy Gilbert raised concerns about sex trafficking: scotland in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP asks the government to shut down pimping websites now, arguing that they are directly perpetrating human trafficking in Scotland and across the UK. If current laws allow these platforms to operate freely, she urges for legislative changes to address this issue immediately.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The MP is concerned about the commercial sexual exploitation facilitated by websites advertising prostitution, which she argues are facilitating industrial-scale sex trafficking. She cited that in her constituency alone, 123 women were advertised for prostitution on Vivastreet and 132 on AdultWork in a single day, totaling 776 and 816 across Scotland respectively. The MP also highlighted the extensive evidence showing these platforms' role in facilitating human trafficking and their collaboration with Government bodies such as the Home Office and NCA, despite calls to shut them down.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
He commended the hon. Lady for raising this topic an [2D [K and agreed that reports on sex trafficking are shocking, breaking even the [K hardest hearts. He also stressed the need to provide local authorities with [4D [K with both ability and resources to tackle sex trafficking rings and support [7D [K support victims.
Steve Yemm
Lab
Mansfield
He expressed frustration over the Scottish Governmen [9D [K Government's vote against Ash Regan's Bill, which aimed to outlaw paying fo [2D [K for sex and decriminalise victims of sexual exploitation in Scotland.
Tonia Antoniazzi
Lab
Gower
She agreed that websites advertising prostitution su [2D [K such as Vivastreet and AdultWork are human trafficking operations in Scotla [6D [K Scotland, suggesting the National Crime Agency should investigate these sit [3D [K sites for facilitating organised crime in England and Wales. She expressed alarm at Home Affairs Committee findin [6D [K findings that there was no evidence of reduced trafficking facilitated by w [1D [K websites advertising prostitution despite partnership working between the N [1D [K NCA, the Home Office, and these sites.
Government Response
Gregor Poynton
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh North and Leith for securing this debate. The depth of her knowledge and passion was obvious. Sexual exploitation can take different forms, often overlapping, with women and vulnerable people trapped in prostitution suffering daily abuse. In 2019, Home Office research by the University of Bristol found that it is not possible to produce a single estimate for the numbers of people engaged in prostitution in England and Wales, but existing estimates ranged from 35,882 to 104,964—a terrible number. The national referral mechanism statistics show that sexual exploitation accounted for 3 3,607 referrals in 2025 across the UK, with 80% being female. In Scotland, there were 144 referrals where sexual exploitation was reported as at least one exploitation type in 2025 compared to 135 in 2024. The government will work closely with counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as law enforcement partners across the UK. The Online Safety Act sets out priority offences including sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Platforms now have a duty to assess risk of illegal harms on their services or face significant penalties. Ofcom is investigating adult sexual websites for non-compliance and not adopting age assurance measures. In 2025, £450,000 was provided to pilot a national intelligence hub using information from adult services websites, leading to four arrests during the pilot phase. The Home Office-funded modern slavery programme has developed a new framework for investigating modern slavery including sexual exploitation. We are also working closely with international partners such as Romania and Vietnam to disrupt trafficking networks.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.