Tackling slavery plan approved

Tackling slavery and human trafficking remains top of the agenda for a council committee.

The West Mercia Energy Joint Committee, which is chaired by Shropshire Council leader Peter Nutting, said it is doing all it can to tackle the issue.

It agreed a statement should be published at the end of the financial year outlining work being done to ensure it acts transparently.

Nigel Evans, director of West Mercia Energy, will decide on the wording of the statement and said he also kept on top the policies of firms the group works with.

He told the meeting yesterday: “I am working on the wording of our policy that will be released later this year.

“We have got some very big suppliers and I will check their statements to ensure they are also doing all they can to tackle slavery and human trafficking but we have also got to have trust in them.”

Councillor Nutting added: “We can do all we can to ensure they are acting responsibly but we have got to place trust in them as well.”

Mr Evans added: “The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is aimed at combating crimes of slavery and human trafficking and recognises that businesses have a role to play in tackling these crimes.

“Section 54 of the act requires any commercial organisation with a turnover of over £36m per annum to publish an annual statement for each financial year to detail what steps the organisation has taken to ensure that human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains or its business.

“The aim is to ensure that businesses are transparent about what they are doing to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking.

“A statement must be published at the end of the relevant financial year and specify the steps taken within the previous financial year to ensure that no slavery or human trafficking is taking place in any part of its business or in its supply chains. “

The statement will read: “WME offers energy procurement and management on behalf of its four member authorities and a number of outside bodies.

“The contracts cover the provision of electricity, natural gas, petroleum fuels and liquid petroleum gas within the UK.

“WME is opposed to all forms of human trafficking and slavery and takes all necessary steps to ensure the promotion of sound, moral and ethical practices throughout the whole of its business.”