UK Modern Slavery rules to change as Home Office publish new code of practice and guidance for businesses on prevention of illegal working: The code updates the version issued in January 2024 and will come into force on 1 October 2026. It is issued under section 19 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and set out the factors to be considered by the Home Office in determining the amount of the civil penalty. The code of practice has been issued alongside Home Office guidance about how to carry out right to work checks.
Meanwhile, the Immigration and Asylum Bill has begun its journey through parliament and if enacted will impose new obligations including making mandatory the contents of a Modern Slavery Statement. For instance, in relation to due diligence processes it requires that the statement “contain information about the due diligence processes the relevant entity has implemented during the financial year in relation to slavery and human trafficking in its operations and supply chains”. Another big change comes from enforcement which will see enforcement powers created with penalties of up to £1m or a % of turnover for breaches related to the Modern Slavery statement requirements. View I >View II >
Food Standards Agency retail sampling plan identifies widespread food misdescription and fraud: The Food Standards Agency has published information on samples of goat meat and Dubai style chocolate analysed as part of its annual retail survey. Out of 40 goat meat samples, 20 were found only to contain sheep meat and one sample was found to consist wholly of deer meat. Only one of the 45 samples of Dubai-style chocolate passed every test and labelling requirement. View >
Action plan agreed on tackling retail crime in London: The British Retail Consortium has published brief details of an ‘action plan’ agreed by the sector and the Metropolitan Police to tackle retail crime. Under the action plan the police commit to prioritise attendance to violent retail incidents and those where the offender is detained, improve updates to retailers on the progress and outcomes of reported crimes and focus enforcement on prolific offenders and organised crime groups. Retailers have committed to ensure high quality evidence, including CCTV and body-worn camera footage, is preserved and shared, provide police with a single point of contact, to reduce delays and to give colleagues the necessary time to support the criminal justice process.View >
French court rules against environmental claims for Volvic plastic bottles: EU Consumer group BEUC has highlighted a French Court ruling that claims for one trip plastic water bottles such as ‘100% recycled’, 100% recyclable’ ‘Carbon neutral’ are misleading and in breach of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.View >
EU Commission: Adopt new rules on recycled content on PET bottles.View I >View II >
Office for Environmental Protection: Find DEFRA to have breached environmental rules in the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoid pesticides. View >
Supreme Court:Reject claim that hip joint product was a defective product under the Consumer Product Safety Act 1987 due to lack of evidence. View >
National Audit Office: Announce the appointment of Michael Jary CBE as chair from January 2027.View >
US Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Comment on the US Supreme Court ruling that officials holding executive office are responsible to the President, who retains the power to dismiss them. View >
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