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<p>As I mentioned in my answer of 17 October 2019, the UK Government is taking steps
to ensure goods sold in the UK do not originate from sources that use forced labour.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works closely with the Home Office in helping
companies and industry stakeholders understand their risks overseas, and officials
continue to monitor the situation in China.</p><p>The Government is committed to the
eradication of all forms of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking as
set out in Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, and has made tackling modern slavery
a foreign policy priority. The Home Office have responsibility for ensuring compliance
with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which obliges certain commercial organisations
to publish a modern slavery statement for each financial year. The requirement to
publish annual statements is designed to drive progress against long-term strategies,
to assess risks and identify priority areas for business improvement. As the published
statutory guidance sets out, the Modern Slavery Act emphasises a transparency-focused
approach rather than investigations of due diligence.</p><p>The Home Office has written
twice to the CEOs of companies identified as in scope of the legislation with clear
information about how to meet their obligations. Following an Independent Review of
the Modern Slavery Act the Home Office has also consulted on proposals to strengthen
the legislation and introduce new enforcement powers. The Home Office is currently
analysing the responses to this consultation and will respond in due course.</p>
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