Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government plans to take forward the commitment to review access to justice set out in the Government's Business and Human Rights Action Plan.

The Government’s Action Plan commitment to keep the provision of remedy under review reflects the importance we attach to this pillar of the UN Guiding Principles. We will continue to monitor the provision of both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, including as part of our review of the Action Plan in 2015.

The UN Guiding Principles are a voluntary framework, but we have been ready to back these up with specific measures, including regulatory measures, where necessary. Examples of this are the amendment to the Companies Act, introduced on 1 October 2013, which requires Listed Companies to report on their human rights impacts and which will be strengthened further in 2016, and the Modern Slavery Bill, which includes provisions for greater transparency in supply chains.