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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to encourage companies manufacturing batteries to ban the use of child labour in their supply chains; and if he will make a statement.

The UK is a signatory to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; which are voluntary standards intended to promote responsible business conduct by enterprises in all sectors, based in the signatory countries. The Guidelines include a standard on the abolition of child labour. The UK maintains a National Contact Point to promote the Guidelines.

Tackling Modern Slavery and other labour abuses is also a top priority for this Government. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires all large businesses to produce an annual statement setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their business and supply chains. Guidance for business on this is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transparency-in-supply-chains-a-practical-guide