Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee Report

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Friday 28th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my friend the noble Lord, Lord Bates. We worked together in the coalition Government on the question of human trafficking and on ensuring that we got the UN convention on human trafficking agreed. That took a while to get done, because of the election and so on, but we managed it. I declare an interest as a member of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, of Vital Voices and of the Global Women Asia network, the director of which, Wenchi Yu, was the first person to bring the question of human trafficking across my eyes and desk in 1976. Since then, I have been very interested in working globally, and here in this country, including previously with the noble Lord, Lord Bates.

I welcome this report. The UK made history 10 years ago by passing the Modern Slavery Act, a ground-breaking law designed to expose exploitation, prosecute perpetrators and protect victims. It was a beacon of leadership in the global fight against modern slavery. However, in 2025 we must ask ourselves: has it delivered on its promise? I know that the noble Baroness, Lady May, is also working on a report to see where we are, here and globally, for which I am grateful.

The Act brought modern slavery out of the shadows. It equipped law enforcement with greater powers, created the anti-slavery commissioner and mandated businesses to report on supply chains. Since its passage, we have seen progress, with 466 prosecutions in 2021, 405 in 2022 and over 3,500 live investigations in late 2022—a stark rise from 188 in 2016. Victim identification has surged, with 12,727 cases referred in 2021.

This is a global crime which is well-connected around the world, as my friend the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, has said. Yet, despite these strides, we remain far from eradicating this crime. Conservative estimates suggest that between 10,000 and 130,000 people in the UK are trapped in modern slavery, yet our prosecution rates barely scratch the surface, hovering around 2%. The national referral mechanism, designed to support victims, is overwhelmed, leaving survivors in limbo for months or even years. Worse still, recent immigration legislation such as the Illegal Migration Act 2023 has created tensions, with the potential to deter victims from seeking help due to deportation fears.

Modern slavery is not static. Criminal networks have evolved, infiltrating global supply chains, the gig economy and care sectors. County lines gangs exploit vulnerable children. Digital trafficking is growing. Yet the UK’s modern slavery strategy has remained largely unchanged since 2014. Other nations have moved ahead. As others have mentioned, Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 and the EU’s corporate sustainability due diligence directive impose tougher requirements, demanding businesses actively prevent forced labour rather than just report it.

We also ought to look at companies reporting not only on the gender pay gap and ethnicity but now on how their supply chains are delivered. This is getting more important as we are not making very much and are importing almost everything, particularly in the garment trade, which is huge. As we have seen, everything that comes in—not only in this country— is from somewhere in Asia or further afield in countries that we do not even remember because they are in the fourth division of the world’s countries. Those countries are now doing this.

Despite over 16,000 UK businesses filing statements by 2024, compliance remains inconsistent, as I mentioned. Crucially, there are no penalties for failing the Act. Without mandatory due diligence, transparency becomes a hollow exercise rather than a tool of real change.

For the UK to reclaim its position as a world leader in tackling modern-day slavery, as we were, we must act decisively. First, we must strengthen victim protections by addressing delays in the national referral mechanism, ensuring that survivors receive immediate legal representation, safe housing and psychological support. Immigration policies must be reformed to protect victims, rather than penalise them.

Secondly, corporate accountability must be reinforced through mandatory due diligence laws and strict penalties for non-compliance, aligning with global best practice. Businesses must be required to take protective measures, not just report risks.

Thirdly, enforcement must be bolstered by making sure that crime does not pay, increasing asset seizures from traffickers, increasing prosecution and modernising legislation to combat emerging threats like digital exploitation.

Finally, the Modern Slavery Act must be updated to reflect current realities. The Government’s Employment Rights Bill is a step forward, but comprehensive reform is necessary to ensure that the law keeps pace with evolving criminal tactics and economic vulnerabilities.

The Modern Slavery Act was a promise to victims and the world. A decade on, let us not merely commemorate its passage but demand its transformation. We must rise to the challenge and ensure that, in the United Kingdom in 2025, no one lives in chains.