A British parliamentary delegation led by Anthony Steen is due to arrive in Bulgaria on an official visit from February 8-9, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported. The group will discuss human trafficking and ways to curb it.

Steen has been Conservative MP for Totnes in Devon since 1974. In his role as chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on the trafficking of women and children, Steen has been raising awareness of the scourge of human trafficking in the UK.

The British delegation also consists of baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a retired English judge, and the first female Lord Justice of Appeal and, until 2004, the highest-ranking female judge in the UK. Also in the delegation is Clare Short, formerly a Labour MP and now independent MP for Birmingham Ladywood.

The guests are scheduled to participate in a Cabinet meeting on February 8 at 10.45am with the head of Bulgaria's internal commission for security, Anastas Anastasov.

The visitors will be acquainted with representatives from the directorates of border police, criminal police, and the Interior Ministry's counter organised crime police unit. Additionally, they are set to meet NGO representatives from Bulgaria's Roma community as well as members from the national commission against human trafficking. Finally, according to the BNT, they will hold talks with Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Controversy enveloped Steen in May 2009 when he was revealed to have been involved in the parliamentary expenses scandal, reported at the time by The Daily Telegraph.

Steen had allegedly claimed more than 87 000 pounds sterling on his constituency mansion which he had designated as his second home. Expenses allegedly included items for "rabbit fencing, tree surgery, woodland consultants and bore hole maintenance". He has announced he will not contest the next general election.