Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2015 to Question 220089, whether the UK plans to ratify the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention before the Dissolution of Parliament.

The Government supports the Protocol to the 2014 Forced Labour Convention and intends to ratify it. A Written Ministerial Statement indicating the Government’s intention to ratify the Protocol was laid before Parliament on 7 January 2015. The Protocol was subsequently laid before Parliament on 6 February and must remain for 21 sitting days to allow scrutiny by both Houses.

On 24 March, at the end of the 21 sitting days, if neither House has indicated an objection to ratification of the Protocol, the next stage of the process may begin. There will not be sufficient time to complete this process prior to the dissolution of Parliament. However there is no deadline for ratifying the Protocol.