Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of (a) working conditions and (b) adherence to International Labour Organisation standards in relation to people in African countries contracted to provide content moderation services to global digital companies.

Digital technologies offer the potential to deliver bigger, faster, more transformative social and economic impact for all. We work to advise partner countries on inclusive and responsible digital transformation approaches. However, our Africa-related programming does not invest in global digital companies that contract local people to provide content moderation services. The FCDO is committed to delivering more and better jobs - seeking to improve job quality progressively and raise standards - both in Africa and in the wider world, in line with the ILO's decent work agenda and standards. The UK has ratified all of the ILO's Core Conventions underpinning the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The UK engages with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on country compliance with international labour standards actively as a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body and at the International Labour Conference (ILC). The ILC Committee on the Application of Standards is integral to the ILO's supervisory system and the UK encourages all countries to abide by high labour standards.