Jonathan Reynolds proposes checks for businesses above a £350 million turnover threshold; companies that fail to comply could be forced to withdraw goods made with forced labor.
UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds plans legislation requiring large companies to check for human rights abuses in their operations and supply chains. He set out the proposal in a letter to the Commons business committee, which has sought stronger business safeguards against modern slavery for nearly two years.
The proposed duty would apply to British businesses with global turnover above £350 million and overseas businesses with UK turnover above the same threshold. Reynolds said companies that failed to comply could be forced to withdraw products made with forced labor or modern slavery from sale. The Press Association’s account of the letter was carried by The Guardian.
The government announced on 4 November that it would propose the law. Human Rights Watch said the announcement would require covered businesses to identify, assess and address human rights abuses and labor exploitation in their operations and supply chains. Those checks are known as human rights due diligence.
Human Rights Watch said regulators would be able to investigate goods suspected of being made with forced labor and order their removal from the British market when companies have failed to meet their obligations. The legislation remains a plan; no date has been given for its introduction or commencement.
Chairman Arthur Nahapetyan said the proceedings involved 799 defendants in January–September 2026, compared with 170 proceedings involving 431 defendants a year earlier.
1 min
The exemption for heat pumps, solar panels and batteries is due to end on 1 April. Industry groups warn that the deadline could bring a rush for installations followed by a downturn.
2 min
The flames were extinguished and search and rescue operations completed on Sunday, Xinhua said. The cause of the fire in northern China remains under investigation.
1 min
