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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 September 2025. It was answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 October 2025 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Public Sector: Procurement

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether public sector contracting authorities are required to adopt scientific tools under the Procurement Act 2023 to assess the presence of forced labour in suppliers’ operations; and if so, how their use is being evaluated and whether such technology is being rolled out for more extensive use.

Answer

Abhorrent practices such as modern slavery, human trafficking and human rights abuses have no place in public supply chains or in wider society. This Government is determined to stamp this out. Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 009 ‘Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains’ encourages departments to conduct due diligence using a range of tools and approaches to assess risks. The PPN sets out key actions to identify risks and recommends the use of tools such as the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool to support departments in managing risks.

The Procurement Act 2023 also provides contracting authorities with stronger powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where there is compelling evidence of modern slavery within their supply chains.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL10172
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Forced labour Public sector Procurement Technology
Legislation
Procurement Act 2023
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk