Overview

This bill strengthens the UK's fight against modern slavery by expanding the requirement for businesses and public bodies to report on their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains. It also mandates that government contracts are only awarded to companies that demonstrate compliance.

Description

The Modern Slavery (Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill amends the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Key changes include:

• Mandatory Reporting: Extends the requirement for a slavery and human trafficking statement to include all commercial organisations and public bodies, mandating its inclusion within their annual reports and accounts.
• Government Procurement: Requires contracting authorities to exclude businesses from bidding for government contracts if they haven't provided the required statement.
• Public List: The Secretary of State will publish a publicly accessible list of all commercial organisations subject to this reporting requirement.
• Guidance: The Secretary of State will issue guidance to contracting authorities on compliance.
• Geographical Extent: The bill applies to England and Wales only.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly impose any charges on the public or vary existing charges. The cost of implementation and enforcement will likely be absorbed within existing government budgets.

Groups Affected

• Commercial Organisations: Larger businesses will need to prepare and publish a slavery and human trafficking statement, potentially incurring costs associated with supply chain audits and reporting.
• Public Bodies: Similar reporting requirements will apply, necessitating internal processes and resource allocation.
• Contracting Authorities: These entities will have to actively verify the compliance of potential bidders, impacting procurement processes.
• Economic Operators: Businesses that fail to comply may be excluded from government contracts, potentially impacting their revenue and business sustainability.

Powered by nyModel