Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the United Nations' framework entitled Protect, respect and remedy and the United Nations document entitled Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, published in June 2011, what steps his Department is taking to fulfil the UK’s duty to (a) protect against business-related human rights abuses in supply chains and (b) provide access to remedy for victims of such abuses.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote responsible business conduct (RBC) across the economy. The Government expects all UK companies to respect human rights, workers’ rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply chains in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for RBC.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to RBC, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains. The FCDO will also be carrying out a National Baseline Assessment (NBA) on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to inform this review.

We have also established the Office for RBC, to replace the UK's National Contact Point. This enhanced office will support industry to integrate responsible business practices and help victims of corporate malpractice through continuing to operate a non-judicial complaints mechanism for alleged violations of the OECD Guidelines.