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<p>Modern slavery has no place in public supply chains.</p><p>We have taken action
in the Procurement Act to strengthen the rules around excluding suppliers linked to
modern slavery. The current rules require the supplier to have been convicted or there
to have been a breach of international treaties banning forced labour, or evidence
of grave professional misconduct.</p><p>We recognise that modern slavery often occurs
in countries which are not party to international treaties on forced labour and which
are unlikely to prosecute the perpetrators. Our changes will allow authorities to
exclude suppliers and disregard their bids where there is sufficient evidence of modern
slavery. This will apply whether or not there has been a conviction or a breach of
an international treaty.</p><p>The Cabinet Office has also published a Procurement
Policy Notice which sets out how UK Government departments must take action to ensure
modern slavery risks are identified and managed in government supply chains.</p><p>Individual
procurements and their contract management of course remain the responsibility of
government departments.</p><p> </p>
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