Agenda item

To consider proposed updates to the City Corporation’s Modern Slavery Statement.

POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE, BRIDGE HOUSE ESTATES BOARD, CITY OF LONDON POLICE AUTHORITY BOARD

(Deputy Catherine McGuiness)

(Deputy Dr Giles Robert Evelyn Shilson)

(Deputy James Michael Douglas Thomson)

14 July 2021

Modern Slavery Update

The City Corporation’s Modern Slavery Statement, developed in response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) in November 2018, was a voluntary statement which reflected the City Corporation’s commitment to responsible business principles across all of its activities, as well as its wider responsibilities under the 2015 Act in relation to the diverse functions it undertook.  It had been intended to publish an annual update to track progress in 2018; however, this had been delayed due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Approval was now sought to publish and adopt an update to the published statement that included areas of improvement since the initial statement and relevant statistics from the 2020/21 financial year. As with the original statement, the update encompassed all the City Corporation’s functions, including as corporate Trustee of Bridge House Estates.

Marianne Fredericks made reference to the Statement’s recognition of the Corporation’s responsibilities in working to eliminate modern day slavery through its activities. Noting the Global Slavery Index’s rankings concerning China, she questioned how these responsibilities could be reconciled with the City Corporation’s ongoing engagement with China and the promotion of the Financial and Professional Services industry there, asking if the Deputy Chairman of Policy & Resources would acknowledge this tension and raise concerns with the Chinese government. Responding, the Deputy Chairman articulated his view that foreign affairs and the question of foreign affairs policy generally was an issue for Her Majesty’s Government, not the City Corporation, with the Corporation’s duty being to promote trade globally. He expressed his absolute condemnation of modern slavery and human rights abuses around the world, wherever they were found.

Resolved – That the Court of Common Council approve the proposed policy update to the City Corporation’s Modern Slavery Statement published in 2018, as set out at Appendix 1.