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Written question asked by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 March 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 15 March 2022. It was answered by Lord Callanan (Conservative) on Tuesday, 15 March 2022 on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Human Rights

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights Human Rights and Business 2017: Promoting responsibility and ensuring accountability (Session 2016–17, HL Paper 153), what steps they will take to introduce a mandatory human rights and due diligence law.

Answer

The UK has a strong record on human rights protection, much of which results from our framework of legislation. The UK already requires companies to undertake due diligence on sustainability matters under existing legislation on corporate transparency. UK listed companies are required to report on relevant environmental, social and governance aspects in their annual reports. Large businesses are also required to publish supply chain transparency statements on steps they have taken to ensure that no modern slavery or human trafficking is taking place in their business or through their supply chains. Both reporting requirements compel disclosure of a company’s due diligence arrangements where these are in place.

In certain circumstances, companies can already be held liable for breaches of duties of care to others where harm is suffered as a foreseeable consequence of the breach.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL6550
Session
2021-22
Related items
Subjects
Human rights Joint Committee on Human Rights
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk