Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Forced labour in UK value chains

Status: Closed Opened: 18 Sep 2020 Closed: 27 Sep 2021 10 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

The BEIS Committee is holding an inquiry which will explore the extent to which business in the UK are exploiting the forced labour of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region of China. The Committee will investigate the risks that UK based businesses face when engaging supply chains that originate in China and what more the Government … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang and UK valu… HC 1272 17 Mar 2021 17 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
8 Recommendation Fifth Report - Uyghur forced labour in … Accepted in Part

In addition, we call on the Government to report to the Committee on the feasibility...

In addition, we call on the Government to report to the Committee on the feasibility and legal basis of further measures in respect of supply chains linked to Xinjiang, including i) a whitelist of companies that have taken significant and clearly evidenced actions regarding their supply chain links to Xinjiang, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government will not create the requested public whitelist/blacklist but announced that the FCDO will provide guidance to UK government bodies to exclude suppliers with sufficient evidence of human rights abuses in their supply chains on a case-by-case basis. They also highlighted existing guidance for …
Read full response →
Department for Business and Trade
11 Recommendation Fifth Report - Uyghur forced labour in … Accepted in Part

We are disappointed by the Government’s refusal to commit to a clear timetable for making...

We are disappointed by the Government’s refusal to commit to a clear timetable for making changes to the Modern Slavery Act. We recommend that the Government strengthen the supply chain transparency obligations for companies and introduce tough fines for non-compliance in line with other price/ earnings to growth responsibilities for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, committing to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by extending reporting requirements to public bodies, enhancing transparency through a new digital service, and introducing financial penalties, to be legislated as parliamentary time allows.
Read full response →
Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
5 Nov 2020 Andrew Reaney · boohoo group, David Sävman · H&M Group, Elizabeth Kanter · TikTok, Hendrik Alpen · H&M Group, Jaycee Pribulsky · Nike, Maajid Nawaz · Quilliam International, Michael Warren · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Paul Scully MP · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Sean Cady · VF Corporation View ↗

Who gave evidence

9 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Reaney · Group Director of Responsible Sourcin boohoo group 1
David Sävman · Head of Supply Chain H&M Group 1
Elizabeth Kanter · Director of Government Relations and Public Polic… TikTok 1
Hendrik Alpen · Head of Sustainability Engagement & Head of Socia… H&M Group 1
Jaycee Pribulsky · Vice President for Global Footwear Sourcing & Man… Nike 1
Maajid Nawaz · Founder Quilliam International 1
Michael Warren · Director of Labour Markets Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Paul Scully MP · Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour… Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Sean Cady · Vice President, Global Sustainability and Respons… VF Corporation 1

Correspondence

22 letters
DateDirectionTitle
8 Jul 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets relat…
14 Jun 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to TikTok relating to their invitatio…
10 Jun 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to the Minister on the Government's r…
27 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to The Walt Disney Company regarding…
27 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from The Walt Disney Company to the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP in respons…
27 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from the Corporate Justice Coalition regarding the Committee’s report on…
11 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Hikvision regarding the Forced lab…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Stella McCartney regarding the for…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to The North Face (VF Corporation) re…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Nike regarding the forced labour i…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to The Walt Disney Company regarding …
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Marks and Spencer regarding the fo…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Zara (Inditex), regarding the forc…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Victoria’s Secret regarding the fo…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Adidas regarding the forced labour…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Amazon regarding the forced labour…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to BooHoo Group regarding the forced …
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to Gap (Gap Inc.) regarding the force…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to H&M Group regarding the forced lab…
16 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Chair and Nusrat Ghani MP to IKEA regarding the forced labour i…