Founded by Anthony Steen MP, the All Party Parliamentary Group was launched on 9 July 2006 by Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell, the lead officer in Operation Pentameter I, the first nationally coordinated Police operation to tackle human trafficking.

According to www.parliament.uk:

"All-party groups are regarded as relatively informal compared with other cross-party bodies such as select committees of the House. The membership of all-party groups mainly comprises backbench Members of the House of Commons and Lords but may also include ministers and non-parliamentarians. Groups flourish and wane according to the interests and enthusiasm of Members."

Two of the founding Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group, former Chairman Anthony Steen and former Vice-Chairman Rt Hon Clare Short stood down at the last General Election. The APPG welcomed a number of new Members at the APPG's reinstatement on 29th June 2010; it is very important that the work and level of activity of this APPG continues in the new Parliament and beyond. The APPG is registered on the Approved List of All Party Parliamentary Groups.