Health and Care Act 2022

81 Eradicating slavery and human trafficking in supply chains E+W

(1) The National Health Service Act 2006 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 12ZB (inserted by section 79) insert—

“12ZC Eradicating slavery and human trafficking in supply chains

(1) The Secretary of State must by regulations make such provision as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate with a view to eradicating the use in the health service in England of goods or services that are tainted by slavery and human trafficking.

(2) The regulations may, in particular, include—

(a) provision in connection with the processes to be followed by public bodies in the procurement of goods or services for the purposes of the health service in England (including provision as to circumstances in which a supplier is excluded from consideration for the award of a contract);

(b) provision as to steps that must be taken by public bodies for assessing and addressing the risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place in relation to people involved in health service supply chains;

(c) provision as to matters for which provision must be made in contracts for goods or services entered into by public bodies for the purposes of the health service in England.

(3) In this section—

• “health service supply chains” means supply chains for providing goods or services for the purposes of the health service in England;

• “public body” means a body exercising functions of a public nature;

• “slavery and human trafficking” has the meaning given by section 54(12) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015;

• “tainted”: goods or services are “tainted” by slavery and human trafficking if slavery and human trafficking takes place in relation to anyone involved in the supply chain for providing those goods or services.”

(3) In section 272 (orders, regulations, rules and directions), in subsection (6), after paragraph (zze) (inserted by section 80), insert—

“(zzf) regulations under section 12ZC,”.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 81 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 186(6)

I2 S. 81 in force at 1.7.2022 by S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)