Appendix 3: Call for evidence
Aim of the inquiry
The House of Lords Select Committee on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was appointed on 24 January 2024. It is chaired by Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway and will report by 30 November 2024.
This inquiry will consider the impact of the 2015 Modern Slavery Act, and its effectiveness in achieving its aims. It will also consider how the Act’s provisions have been implemented, how the Act has been impacted by recent political developments, and whether the Act is in need of improvement.
This is a public call for written evidence to be submitted to the Committee. The deadline is 10:00am on 27 March. The Committee is keen to hear from a diverse range of individuals and organisations.
We are mindful that the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee recently conducted an extensive inquiry into human trafficking. While we can only formally accept written evidence prepared specifically for our inquiry, in the interests of avoiding undue duplication, we would be content to receive variants of the evidence previously submitted to the Home Affairs Committee, repurposed and updated as appropriate, to emphasise the principal topics for our inquiry which we have set out below.
Questions
The Committee’s focus is specifically on the Act itself, and its implementation, rather than modern slavery in general. The Committee is therefore seeking written submissions addressing any or all of the following topics in relation to the Modern Slavery Act 2015:
1.The extent to which the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has been impacted by recent legislation (for example the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Illegal Migration Act 2023)
2.Whether the Act has kept up-to-date with developments in modern slavery and human trafficking, both within the UK and internationally
3.The efficacy of the provisions of the Act relating to supply chains
4.The efficacy of the other key provisions of the Act, including definitions, sanctions, reporting, enforcement, and the statutory defence for victims
5.The role of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, including whether the post is sufficiently resourced, and the process of appointment
6.Suggestions for improvements that could be made to the Act to help it to better achieve its aims