Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL666), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what plans they have to impose sanctions and use UK aid to help combat child labour in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and whether they plan to require UK companies sourcing cobalt to establish an independent verification system that would ensure that their supply chains are free from exploitation, unsafe working conditions, slavery and child labour.

Under the Modern Slavery Act, all large businesses operating in the UK with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish an annual transparency statement detailing what steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their business and supply chains. EU and UN sanctions regimes are in place to tackle human rights violations and abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UK will continue to impose EU sanctions during the Transition Period. In 2018, the UK increased the amount of Official Development Assistance spent internationally on modern slavery to over £200 million. This will be used to tackle the root causes by creating jobs and livelihoods, changing business and recruitment practices, building capacity for law enforcement, and protecting victims. There will be a particular focus on the most vulnerable including children, women and girls. In DRC, the UK has contributed to "Effective Approaches to Ending the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Fragile Contexts" programme, which brings together a consortium of NGOs, local partners, private sector and media development agencies to develop innovative approaches to ending child labour. This includes tackling supply and demand issues which result in child labour in fragile states. As an active member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UK encourage states and those working in the industry to implement the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas. Through project funding, we have supported the OECD to disseminate, and encourage the use of, this guidance and run capacity-building projects to implement it.