Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that tuna companies operating in the UK have conducted due diligence on modern slavery in their supply chain.

Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, large businesses with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish annual modern slavery statements detailing the steps they are taking to prevent modern slavery in their organisation and supply chains. The requirement applies to all sectors, including fishing. The Government expects businesses to report transparently about the modern slavery risks they have identified and what actions they have taken in response.

The Home Office regularly engages with businesses across a range of sectors, including fishing, to accelerate progress in tackling modern slavery in global supply chains.

The Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) licenses UK businesses which provide workers to the farming, food processing and shellfish gathering sectors to make sure they meet the employment standards required by law; and carries out inspections and enforcement activity. The GLAA also partner with businesses such as Sainsbury’s to deliver training sessions to their suppliers, equipping them to better identify and manage risks in their supply chains.