Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 13 December (HL4447), when they expect their review of export controls to be completed; and what plans they have to introduce the financial penalties for those in contravention of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, as announced by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 12 January (HC Deb, cols 160–62).

On 8 December the Secretary of State for International Trade announced a package of measures to update the UK's export control regime via a written ministerial statement to Parliament. This included an enhancement to the military end-use control that will allow HM Government to better address threats to national security, international peace and security, and human rights arising from the use of otherwise non-controlled items. The changes will also address a long-standing inconsistency within the UK's export control regime by adding China to the list of destinations subject to military end-use controls. Taken together, these changes will strengthen our ability to prevent exports that might be used directly or indirectly to facilitate human rights violations in all destinations subject to military end-use controls. It also completes the export control review announced to Parliament on 12 January 2021 by the then Foreign Secretary.

Financial penalties for companies that fail to meet their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act will be introduced as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.