Eight of the most influential business leaders in the UK have joined together to spearhead pioneering industry action to drive out slavery from supply chains.

The group who represent some of the largest companies in the UK – who collectively employ over 800,000 people and have a combined turnover of more than £140 billion a year – united as the founding members of the Business Against Slavery Forum, which launched on Monday (9 October) in partnership with the government.

The 8 founding members are: Mark Cutifani, Anglo American CEO; Jeremy Darroch, SKY CEO; Stuart Gulliver, HSBC CEO; Marco Gobbetti, Burberry CEO; Gavin Patterson, BT CEO; Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP CEO; Jes Staley, Barclays CEO; George Weston, ABF CEO.

The first Business Against Slavery Forum, held at Lancaster House, was chaired by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, and attended by Sarah Newton, Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, and John Studzinski CBE, non-executive Director at the Home Office and Vice Chairman at Blackstone. The forum brings CEOs together to share experiences and inspire more action to stamp out the barbaric crime at its source.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

The founding members of the Business Against Slavery Forum have shown bravery by refusing to ignore the fact forced labour can be a problem in any supply chain and by coming together to do even more to combat it.

Much progress has already been made, but by sharing their expertise and experience in identifying and tackling slavery these business leaders will help consign it to the history books.

They have refused to turn their backs on the victims of this barbaric crime. I hope other firms will do the same, so together we can force slavery out of hidden corners of the supply chains that contribute to the products and services which are part of all our daily lives.

The Business Against Slavery Forum will be a platform to help businesses identify, tackle and prevent slavery in their supply chains, to encourage them to share intelligence and best practice, and to help boost the quality of transparency reporting under the Modern Slavery Act.

During the first meeting, participants discussed the leadership role they can play in tackling modern slavery (which may involve encouraging more collaboration, piloting new approaches, generating best practice and aiming to raise standards in their sector). Business leaders will attend the Business Against Slavery forum twice a year and will send representatives to more frequent working meetings.

Following the world-leading Modern Slavery Act 2015, the forum will build on work already underway by large firms to publish annual Transparency in Supply Chain Statements to demonstrate the action they are taking to ensure slave labour plays no part in producing their goods or services.

Despite progress made by businesses in stamping out global slavery, forced labour still generates $150 billion in illicit profits every year.

Home Office non-executive director John Studzinski CBE said:

I am pleased that the Home Secretary and business leaders are coming together to discuss what more we can do to tackle the abomination of modern slavery.

We must be innovative; showing that ethical profit is possible. And I am convinced that companies will reap benefits from doing the right thing.

Other large businesses will also be able to join the group as associate members.

For science, research, and innovation to provide solutions to global health challenges, people and ideas need to be able to come together to make a difference, Dr Jeremy Farrar OBE, Director of the Wellcome Trust said at the 12th Annual Lecture organised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in London tonight, 10 October 2017.

Speaking to an audience of leaders from across the UK life science community, Dr Farrar explained how recent political events in Europe and beyond have shaken the foundations of long established international structures, collaborations and arrangements, which have long been seen as the best way to protect public health.

However, to continue to safeguard global health during this period of international uncertainty, medicines regulators, scientists, and innovators must work together to make sure there is more global cooperation, not less, to achieve solutions which are effective, sustainable and fair.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said:

Recent world events such as Brexit have created an uncertain future for global health. But the health challenges we face don’t respect national boundaries – they require global solutions.

As we enter complex negotiations to leave the European Union, it’s vital that we protect regulatory cooperation and create an environment in which medical innovation succeeds not despite the regulatory environment, but because of it.

This is a priority issue, an issue of health security, and all sides should push for it to be dealt with as soon as possible in the next phase of the negotiations.

The Agency’s Chief Executive, Dr Ian Hudson, said:

As regulators, we understand the importance of being forward-looking, innovative, and open when facing global health challenges. A deep and close working relationship across the EU has led to significant public health and safety improvements and helped us succeed in the face of crisis.

Playing a leading role in promoting and ensuring public health remains the key priority for our Agency and it is vital to increase international collaboration and maintain collaborative frameworks to help make sure new, innovative treatments are made available to the UK health sector at the earliest, safest opportunity.

Ends

Notes to Editor

1. The MHRA Annual Lecture is the Agency’s flagship event bringing together over 350 senior domestic and international leaders from medicine, government, industry, academia, third sector and world health institutions. This year’s event took place on Tuesday 10 October at the Francis Crick Institute.

2. Each year the lecture is delivered by internationally renowned experts to bring their perspective on topics of global importance. This year Jeremy Farrar, Director of one of the world’s largest private funders of medical research, the Wellcome Trust, delivered a lecture titled ‘Health and disease know no borders: why global health must survive political upheaval’. His lecture follows those by Dr Margaret Chan, WHO, in 2016, and Dr Dan Hartman, Gates Foundation, in 2015.

3. Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director, Wellcome Trust – Before joining Wellcome in October 2013, Jeremy was Director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam for 18 years. His research interests were infectious diseases, tropical health and emerging infections. He has published over 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers, mentored many dozens of students and fellows, and served as Chair on several advisory boards for governments and global organisations, including the World Health Organization. He was named 12th in Fortune’s list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2015. Jeremy was appointed OBE in 2005 for services to tropical medicine, was awarded the Memorial Medal and the Ho Chi Minh City Medal by the Government of Vietnam, and has been honoured by the Royal College of Physicians in the UK and the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a Fellow of both the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society.

4. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. MHRA is a centre of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which also includes the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health.

An update about charity registrations and response times for processing applications.

Mr Prince Adewale Adeola , aged 53 years of Poplar Avenue, Gravesend, Kent, was today, sentenced to 5 months imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to 11 charges of providing unregulated immigration advice.

Mr Adeola is the company director of Vinbrooke Legal Practitioners, 26 Harmer Street, Gravesend, Kent where clients met with him to discuss their immigration issues. Mr Adeola had misrepresented his company as being qualified to provide immigration advice and services. Mr Adeola had previously been the subject of disciplinary action by his regulator, CILEx, for providing unqualified immigration advice and or services for which he was fined £500.

In sentencing, HHJ Miller, said:

“You knew the regulations in respect of providing immigration advice. Public interest in such matters is obvious, given the desperate circumstances of those seeking immigration advice. The consequences of immigration proceedings are hugely important and in most cases dealing with complex matters. It is right that people who charge for such services must be qualified. In sentencing you, it is your conduct, which will have the most impact on your family.”

Speaking about the decision, the Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner, Ian Leigh, said:

“We have clear standards outlining what we expect in terms of the fitness and competence of regulated advisers. Prince Adewole Adeola chose to operate outside the law. I am delighted with the outcome of this case, and I hope this sends a clear message to other people considering providing immigration advice – either act within the law or you will find yourself in court.”

FCO Minister of State for Europe and the Americas the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan said: