Overview

This bill amends the Modern Slavery Act 2015, extending its transparency requirements to public bodies and strengthening the penalties for non-compliance. It mandates that large companies and public bodies disclose their efforts to combat modern slavery in their supply chains and annual reports. Contracting authorities will be required to exclude businesses that fail to comply.

Description

The bill introduces several key changes:

• Mandatory Reporting: Requires large commercial organisations and public bodies to include a statement on slavery and human trafficking in their annual reports and accounts. This statement must detail steps taken to ensure their supply chains are free from modern slavery.
• Procurement Exclusion: Contracting authorities must exclude businesses from procurement procedures if they haven't produced the required statement.
• Guidance for Authorities: The Secretary of State will publish guidance for contracting authorities on compliance with the new requirements.
• Public List: The Secretary of State must publish an accessible list of commercial organisations required to publish statements, categorized by sector.
• Amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015: The Schedule to the Bill makes numerous consequential amendments to the existing Modern Slavery Act 2015 to ensure consistency and effectiveness.

The bill applies to England and Wales only.

Government Spending

The bill explicitly states that it will not impose any charge on the people or on public funds. No specific figures regarding government spending are provided in the text.

Groups Affected

• Large Commercial Organisations: Required to produce and publish a statement on their efforts to combat modern slavery, facing potential exclusion from public contracts if non-compliant.
• Public Bodies: Subject to the same reporting requirements as commercial organisations, facing penalties for non-compliance.
• Contracting Authorities: Responsible for enforcing the new rules by excluding non-compliant businesses from procurement procedures.
• Suppliers to Public Bodies: Will be directly impacted by the requirement for their clients to demonstrate compliance.

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