Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by UK National Contact Point that JCB was in breach of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; and what steps they are taking to ensure that UK companies adhere to those guidelines.

The UK National Contact Point (UK NCP), which operates independently of the Department for International Trade, has not found that JCB violated human rights. However, in line with the OECD Guidelines, the UK NCP has advised JCB to develop a policy commitment to respect human rights and to carry out human rights due diligence in supply chains.

The UK NCP will request an update from JCB on the implementation of its recommendations in a year’s time and in the interim is available to provide support as necessary.

As part of its commitment to the OECD Guidelines, the UK NCP promotes the Guidelines to business, NGOs and trade unions, and is available to provide advice on adhering to the recommendations it contains.