The Modern Slavery Act introduces a transparency in supply chains provision that requires all businesses over a certain size to produce a “slavery and human trafficking statement” for each financial year. The statement must disclose steps businesses have taken to ensure their business and supply chains are slavery free, or a statement that no such steps have been taken. The threshold, determining which businesses are within scope, is expected to be based on a minimum turnover of the commercial organisation. The requirement will apply to commercial organisations over the threshold, which carry on a business, or part of a business, in the UK. The Home Office is consulting on what size of business this new requirement should apply to and on statutory guidance to accompany the provision.
The transparency in supply chains provision has a provisional implementation date of October 2015.
A copy of the Act can be viewed on gov.uk website.
