To help prevent Modern Slavery the UK Government implemented the Modern Slavery Act in 2015. It received Royal Assent on 26th March 2015 and became law;
Modern Slavery describes offences of human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
Executive engagement and leadership is essential, including board approval of a public policy commitment to respect human rights. They should establish:
There was an estimated 45.8 million people in slavery worldwide in 2016.
The UK is 52 in the world out of 167 countries for number of people in slavery.
Human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour is estimated to generate US$ 150 billion in illegal profits per year.
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) research found that 71% of companies believe there is a likelihood of modern slavery occurring at some point within their supply chain. In line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in all its activities and contractual suppliers, whilst working with them to ensure that their supply chains are also free from slavery and human trafficking.
This statement has been published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It sets out the steps taken by STFC during 2016/17 to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its business and supply chains.
STFC formed in 2007. STFC is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation with a mission to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and to the world. STFC provides research grant funding to UK Higher Education Institutions and other eligible research organisations for research in the fields of astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics, and for associated technology development, research infrastructure and knowledge exchange. We support an academic community of around 1,700 in particle physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy, who work at more than 50 universities and research institutes in the UK, Europe, Japan and the United States, including a rolling cohort of more than 900 PhD students. Our large-scale scientific facilities in the UK and Europe are used by more than 3,500 users each year, carrying out more than 2,000 experiments and generating around 900 publications.
We are supported mainly by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
STFC is committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking and maintains:
These form part of a wider suite of policies, all of which are accessible by all STFC staff and are reviewed on a cyclical basis.
Within STFC, our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion once in our employment.
STFC’s procurement for goods and services is administered by our shared services provider, UK SBS. Our supply chain is extensive and we procure goods and services from a wide range of UK and overseas suppliers. The UK SBS have published their statement on Slavery & Human Trafficking which includes their mechanisms for guarding against modern slavery in their client’s supply chains. In 2016, UK SBS introduced a mandatory requirement for suppliers to declare their compliance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act (if the supplier is within scope of the Act) as part of the procurement process.
During 2017-18, STFC will undertake the following activities:
This statement has been approved by Chief Executive, STFC Executive Board and Council.
Diana Chaloner
Executive Director HR
Last updated: 27 August 2020