Sector experts to give evidence on Modern Slavery

The session will take place on Monday 22 April 2024 and can be followed live on Parliament TV.

Giving evidence at 3:35pm will be:

• Dr Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (via Zoom)
• Professor Genevieve LeBaron, Director and Professor at the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University (via Zoom)

Questions the committee is likely to ask include:

• We have heard that recent immigration legislation in the UK has created a hostile environment for victims of modern slavery. How are migrants protected in other countries?
• The Modern Slavery Act seeks to encourage oversight of government policy, including through the post of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. How does this compare internationally?
• The UK has a low number of prosecutions relative to identified victims. How can this be improved based on the operation of criminal justice internationally?

Giving evidence at 4:40pm will be:

• Weronika Dorociak, Programme Manager for Sustainability at techUK
• Dr Martin Buttle, Better Work Lead at Churches, Charities and Local Authorities (CCLA) Investment Management

Questions the committee is likely to ask include:

• Responsibility for improving supply chain management is often divided between companies, governments, and the voluntary sector. What is the role of business within this?
• There have been calls for companies to undertake more meaningful action in managing their supply chains. How realistic is this?
• Businesses are sometimes exposed to reputational risk if modern slavery is uncovered in their supply chains. Can this be better harnessed than it is currently?
• Supply chains are often complex and are not always well understood by businesses. What can be done to address this?