UK Parliament / Open data

Modern Slavery Bill

Proceeding contribution from Lord Field of Birkenhead (Labour) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 4 November 2014. It occurred during Debate on bills on Modern Slavery Bill.

I underscore that last comment, which is immensely important. This has been the most open conversation on a Bill that I have experienced in my time in the House.

Fifteen months ago there was no talk of this Bill, and tonight there are a few scratchy comments about whether it could be an even better world-class Bill—it will be when it leaves the other place. There are three tasks to do, and they are the difficult tasks as opposed to getting a world-class Bill. One is about victims, and that immensely difficult task will take time and resources. There is also the question of how we educate a new consumer movement, so that consumers enforce the Bill by refusing to touch goods and services made by slaves. The Secretary of State will have a world-class Bill, so I hope she will take it to the Commonwealth and enliven that body. Many of the supply routes to this country for slavery are from Commonwealth countries. Since the overthrow of apartheid, the Commonwealth has lacked a huge moral task with which to get involved, and I think this issue will be that. I thank the Home Secretary for her openness. Some of the concessions that she made, such as on supply chains, are ones that she wanted to give anyway.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
587 c795 
Session
2014-15
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
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