The Government’s proposed overhaul of UK modern slavery reporting has moved another step closer, following detailed scrutiny in the House of Commons. MPs have backed tougher reporting requirements, greater accountability and financial penalties, although questions remain about enforcement and implementation.
On 27 October 2026, the Commons Public Bill Committee considered the modern slavery provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, agreeing to clauses 44 to 49 and Schedule 5, which would substantially strengthen the reporting obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The Bill remains under parliamentary scrutiny and has not yet become law. However, the latest debate provided important details about how the new requirements are expected to operate and when businesses will need to comply.
VinciWorks has previously examined the proposed changes in our detailed analysis of the Immigration and Asylum Bill and our modern slavery compliance guide.
Immigration and Asylum Bill: Modern slavery reforms advance
Introducing the provisions, Border Security and Asylum Minister Anna Turley acknowledged criticism that the current modern slavery reporting regime had become a tick-box exercise with insufficient enforcement.
She cited research suggesting that only around 60% of companies had met basic reporting requirements, alongside a recent Rathbones report identifying 194 instances of non-compliance across 160 FTSE 350 companies over six years.
The Minister confirmed that clauses 44 and 45 would introduce mandatory reporting topics, stronger signatory accountability and clearer arrangements for parent companies reporting on behalf of subsidiaries.
The measures received broad support during the Committee debate. Conservative shadow minister Matt Vickers welcomed more transparent and comparable reporting, while cautioning that a longer statement is not necessarily a better one. He questioned how the Government would respond to organisations that repeatedly disclosed that they had taken no action to address modern slavery risks.
Turley clarified that the purpose of the reforms was to encourage meaningful transparency, rather than penalise organisations simply for identifying risks or acknowledging gaps in their compliance programmes. The Committee agreed both clauses and Schedule 5 without a recorded division.
Around 1,040 public authorities expected to be covered
One of the most significant developments concerned clause 46, which would extend modern slavery reporting to qualifying public authorities. The Minister confirmed that the Government estimates around 1,040 public-sector organisations would fall within scope. Group reporting arrangements could reduce this to approximately 380 individual statements.
The Minister also provided an important indication of timing. The new requirements are expected to apply to financial years beginning on or after commencement, with the first statements not expected before the end of 2028. However the public-sector budget threshold and final commencement arrangements remain to be confirmed.
Enforcement penalties backed, although key questions remain
MPs also agreed clauses 47 to 49, covering mandatory government submission, updated statutory guidance and a new financial enforcement regime. Under the proposals, organisations could face penalties of up to the higher of £1 million or 1% of turnover, or the relevant budget for public authorities, for failures to comply with their reporting obligations.
However, the debate highlighted an important unresolved question: who will enforce these requirements? Green MP Siân Berry raised concerns about the absence of a designated enforcement authority, referring to evidence from former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton.
Turley confirmed that the Government was still considering whether enforcement should sit with an existing regulator or within the Home Office itself. Draft regulations will be consulted on during the Bill’s parliamentary passage.
The Minister also confirmed that the Government intends to build on the existing modern slavery statement registry, which already has more than 34,000 registered organisations, and that updated guidance will be available before the new requirements commence.
What happens next?
The Committee also agreed government amendments relating to the protection of child victims and added new clause 32, which updates the statutory framework governing exceptions to automatic deportation where a person is a confirmed victim of modern slavery. These changes concern victim protection and immigration procedures rather than corporate reporting.
For businesses, the main development is that the proposed reporting reforms have passed this stage of committee scrutiny with broad support. The Bill must still complete its remaining parliamentary stages, and the commencement dates, enforcement arrangements and supporting regulations have yet to be finalised.
Organisations should continue meeting their existing Modern Slavery Act obligations while preparing for more prescriptive reporting and senior-level accountability.
