Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the result of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care's review under section 47 of the Health and Care Act 2022 of the risk of slavery taking place in NHS supply chains.

The Review of risk of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in the NHS Supply Chain, pursuant to section 47 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022, was undertaken in 2023 and published on 14 December 2023. A copy of the report is attached. One of the recommendations from the report was to lay regulations with a view to eradicate modern slavery, supporting the amendment of Section 12zc in the NHS Act 2006. The regulations cover all goods and services procured on behalf of the health service.

The Department and NHS England have also developed detailed guidance to support the embedding of the regulations and policies throughout a procurement exercise. This ensures alignment to procurements conducted under all legal regimes including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

A public consultation for the content and approach of those regulations is to be launched in Autumn 2024. This will support my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to develop the regulations to ensure the National Health Service eradicates modern slavery in supply chains.