Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the University of Manchester article, "Modern slavery and digital technology in ‘Fast Fashion’: the transparency dividend", published on 8 July, and, in particular, the need for businesses to avoid so-called ‘tech-washing’ and associated human rights abuses.

The Government expects UK businesses to undertake due diligence so that human rights issues are considered in their operations and supply chain relationships, in line with the OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This Government will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures, alongside the impacts of new tools that are emerging to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices, including in the fashion sector.

Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK with a turnover of £36 million or more must make an annual statement on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.