Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to impose a duty on all companies, including parent companies, to prevent (a) human rights abuses and (b) environmental abuses in their global supply chains.

The UK has a strong record on human rights and environmental awareness and protection, much of which results from our framework of legislation. The UK Government expects all British companies to adhere to the rule of law and build respect for human rights and the environment into all aspects of their operations both domestically and in other territories.

The Companies Act 2006 includes the need for Public Interest Entities with 500 or more employees to describe its business relationships which are likely to cause adverse impacts, and how it manages risks arising from matters such as environmental considerations and human rights.

Under international law, there is no requirement for States to regulate the extraterritorial activities of their businesses. It is up to individual States to protect against and prosecute human rights and other abuses that are committed within their borders.