Business: Ethics
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Lisa Nandy (Wigan, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to promote the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights to companies listed in the UK.

Jeremy Browne (Minister of State (South East Asia/Far East, Caribbean, Central/South America, Australasia and Pacific), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Taunton Deane, Liberal Democrat)

Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other Departments have recently had a series of meetings with UK companies to discuss the Guiding Principles on business and human rights.

The outcome of these meetings will be used to inform development of the forthcoming Government strategy on business and human rights, which will comprise a strong Government endorsement of the Guiding Principles and messaging for companies on our expectations about corporate respect for human rights.

Officials across Whitehall have also been working to introduce dedicated information on the Guiding Principles, and business and human rights, to the Overseas Business Risk service, run jointly by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the FCO. The many companies currently accessing this service will shortly also be able to assess the risks of overseas markets, including relevant country-specific human rights issues.