Vicky Ford corrected a written answer on Multinational Companies: Human Rights

3 March 2022 · Commons written answer · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Mr Barry Sheerman (Labour, Huddersfield) asked written question 127288 on 22 February 2022. Vicky Ford answered on 2 March 2022 for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Vicky Ford corrected the answer on 3 March 2022. The corrected text no longer gives the figure £36 million. Altogether 62 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure good human rights practice within multinational companies.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
The Government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles. ~~In response to the Guidelines, the~~ UK was the first State to produce a National Action Plan and we continue to develop our approach in line with Modern Slavery Act 2015. Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act places a requirement on businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to publish an annual modern slavery statement setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. To further bolster our commitment to tackle modern slavery, in January 2021, the UK Government announced that financial penalties will be introduced for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. We have also enhanced Companies Act reporting (2013, 2016). The UK is signatory to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multi-National Enterprises, which adopted the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines). The Guidelines are a set of voluntary principles and standards for businesses to encourage responsible business practices, including human rights, labour standards and environment. The UK operates a National Contact Point (UK NCP) to promote the Guidelines and to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Guidelines. It also offers a platform for mediation and conciliation. The complaints mechanism can include the examination of instances where abuses of human rights may have occurred. The UK NCP also represents the UK at the OECD Working Party on Responsible Businesses Conduct.	The Government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles. The UK was the first State to produce a National Action Plan and we continue to develop our approach in line with Modern Slavery Act 2015. In January 2021, the UK Government announced that financial penalties will be introduced for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. We have also enhanced Companies Act reporting (2013, 2016). The UK is signatory to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multi-National Enterprises, which adopted the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines). The Guidelines are a set of voluntary principles and standards for businesses to encourage responsible business practices, including human rights, labour standards and environment. The UK operates a National Contact Point (UK NCP) to promote the Guidelines and to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Guidelines. It also offers a platform for mediation and conciliation. The complaints mechanism can include the examination of instances where abuses of human rights may have occurred. The UK NCP also represents the UK at the OECD Working Party on Responsible Businesses Conduct.

Original

Corrected

The Government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles. ~~In response to the Guidelines, the~~ UK was the first State to produce a National Action Plan and we continue to develop our approach in line with Modern Slavery Act 2015. Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act places a requirement on businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to publish an annual modern slavery statement setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. To further bolster our commitment to tackle modern slavery, in January 2021, the UK Government announced that financial penalties will be introduced for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. We have also enhanced Companies Act reporting (2013, 2016).
The UK is signatory to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multi-National Enterprises, which adopted the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines). The Guidelines are a set of voluntary principles and standards for businesses to encourage responsible business practices, including human rights, labour standards and environment. The UK operates a National Contact Point (UK NCP) to promote the Guidelines and to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Guidelines. It also offers a platform for mediation and conciliation. The complaints mechanism can include the examination of instances where abuses of human rights may have occurred. The UK NCP also represents the UK at the OECD Working Party on Responsible Businesses Conduct.

The Government is clear that it expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles. The UK was the first State to produce a National Action Plan and we continue to develop our approach in line with Modern Slavery Act 2015. In January 2021, the UK Government announced that financial penalties will be introduced for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. We have also enhanced Companies Act reporting (2013, 2016).
The UK is signatory to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multi-National Enterprises, which adopted the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines). The Guidelines are a set of voluntary principles and standards for businesses to encourage responsible business practices, including human rights, labour standards and environment. The UK operates a National Contact Point (UK NCP) to promote the Guidelines and to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Guidelines. It also offers a platform for mediation and conciliation. The complaints mechanism can include the examination of instances where abuses of human rights may have occurred. The UK NCP also represents the UK at the OECD Working Party on Responsible Businesses Conduct.

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1434106?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`a04edf7b3388f6b473d1a21de2012de7813925182fc39f1a2b57f09318dac36e`