Issue - meetings

With reference to the report submitted to the Committee, the Interim Senior Specialist Procurement introduced the item.  He noted that the report provided an update on the implementation of the Modern Slavery Motion adopted by the Council in 2020 and advised that further recommendations relating to modern slavery were monitored and incorporated into the Council’s procurement processes.  The Committee was reminded that the publication of the modern slavery report was an annual requirement.

There were no questions on the item.

RESOLVED:  (I)  That the annual update report on the Modern Slavery Motion for the financial year ending 31 March 2023, as submitted to the Committee, be noted.

(II)  That the Executive be requested to progress actions within sections 7.5-7.8 of the Annual Report on the Modern Slavery Motion:

7.5      Consideration should also be made of some emerging policy from the Home Office published in September 2020 which requires certain organisations with a turnover exceeding £36 million to produce a Modern Slavery Statement for each Financial Year. The Government have outlined the intention to roll this out within Local Government and also for organisations of the same financial standing.

7.6          The Council should consider further training to teams responsible for contract management to assist identification of Modern Slavery when services are being delivered for the Council.

7.7          The Government have now released a Modern Slavery statement registry over 6,000 statements have been submitted covering over 20,000 organisations on a voluntary basis. The Council should publish the 2023 statement on the registry.

7.8      The Council should review the Home Office developments listed below:

a)      A modern slavery risk prioritisation tool which aims to help departments risk assess their contracts in accordance with the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note – Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains Action Note PPN 05/19 September 2019 guidance more easily.

b)      An induction pack for anti-slavery advocates to ensure senior commercial directors are better equipped to oversee how their department is tackling modern slavery.

c)       Guidance on modern slavery statements to ensure departments have a clear understanding of key information they must include in their first statements.

d)      Guidance on developing modern slavery KPIs to help departments measure the effectiveness of the measures they are taking to combat modern slavery.

The Lead Councillor for Resources introduced the item.  He advised the meeting that the Modern Slavery Charter was adopted by the Council in February 2020 and implementation of the policy through procurement and contracting was reported annually. 

RESOLVED:  That the annual update report on the Modern Slavery Motion for the financial year ending 31 March 2022 be noted.

The Chairman took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.

The Senior Specialist Procurement introduced the item and updated the Committee on progress implementing measures against modern slavery as laid out in the report submitted to the Committee.  The Committee was advised that further measures would be taken, such as producing an ethical procurement statement, a supplier code of conduct, and an annual modern slavery statement.  

The Lead Councillor for Resources praised the measures enacted at the Council against modern slavery and suggested it was very unlikely the Council could buy goods or services from companies involved in modern slavery.

In reply to a question from a member of the Committee, the Senior Specialist Procurement undertook to provide information on measures the Council could take against companies that leased Council properties and were involved in modern slavery.

RESOLVED:  That the annual update on Modern Slavery submitted to the Committee, including the further measures which can be undertaken in order to strengthen the Council’s response to Modern Slavery, be noted.