Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals on requiring UK companies to prevent abuse and environmental destruction in their overseas supply chains and operations.

The Government expects all businesses in the UK to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The Modern Slavery Act requires businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to set out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Financial penalties will be introduced through primary legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to increase compliance.

We have also introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains.