Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress Great British Energy has made in implementing its statutory object that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in its supply chains; and what assessment they have made of the Politico investigation revealing that five out of seven of the contracts that Great British Energy has provided for schools cannot guarantee that they are free from forced labour.

There is no place for forced labour or unethical practices in the UK’s energy transition and Great British Energy (GBE) is expected to be a leading example of adherence to the UK’s legislation and longstanding position on forced labour.

Solar panel supply chains are complex, and it is extremely difficult to confirm the exact origins of their multiple components and raw materials which make up a solar panel.

All contracts issued under the GBE schools and hospitals solar initiative complied with UK Procurement Act 2023, including extensive requirements on participants of Government’s frameworks to comply with the Modern Slavery Act.

GBE continues to go further to tackle forced labour and is currently formalising its independent requirements of partners. It will set out further detail over the coming months. In addition to conducting risk-based due diligence in line with international human rights standards, GBE is also exploring other measures, including ways to reward companies that demonstrate robust performance in this area. This approach is already reflected in the scoring criteria for its £300 million Offshore Wind and Networks Grant Fund.