Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Rejected
Paragraph: 45
The Government cannot stand idly by while some companies keep operating with wilful blindness.
Recommendation
The Government cannot stand idly by while some companies keep operating with wilful blindness. We recommend the creation of a Director-led working group within the Department to tackle the ongoing lack of transparency in supply chains specifically linked to the use of forced labour of, but not limited to, Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The working group should coordinate action across Government in relation to the enforcement and strengthening of business compliance with relevant legislation, UN diplomacy, Magnitsky sanctions and human rights declarations.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejects the recommendation for a new Director-led working group, stating that an existing cross-Government working group established in August 2020 already coordinates action on human rights in Xinjiang, including supply chain transparency.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
45
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
20. The Government is committed to supporting businesses to tackle and prevent modern slavery risks in their supply chains. The Government encourages companies to follow the blueprint laid out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights on how to conduct human rights due diligence. We encourage companies to monitor their supply chains with rigour, to uncover and remedy any risks of forced labour or other labour abuses. We also recognise that this issue is not unique to Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang, which is why many of the initiatives the Government is pursuing aim to create mechanisms that are actor agnostic and designed to tackle forced labour wherever it occurs.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗