The Science Museum Group (a trading name of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum) (“SMG”) is the world’s largest alliance of science and technology museums and receives over 5 million visitors annually.
SMG contracts with a significant number of suppliers to facilitate its activities at its various sites. Main areas of supply chain activity include:
- Construction services;
- Building maintenance services;
- Professional services;
- Goods for re-sale in SMG retail outlets;
- Information technology equipment, software and services
- ‘Soft’ facilities management services (cleaning, catering and security services); and
- Marketing and publishing services
Whilst SMG’s business and supply chains are not especially susceptible to slavery and human trafficking SMG is committed to trading ethically, sourcing goods and services responsibly and generally conducting its affairs without causing harm to others.
In furtherance of this aim SMG makes this statement (pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”)) to set out the steps that it has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within its own operations or its supply chain:
- SMG often procures goods and services through framework agreements and continues to review its requirements for suppliers in respect of ethical standards (such as the Base Code of the Ethical Trading Initiative) when engaging with international supply chains and where SMG identifies audit supply chains which represent a medium to high risk of modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and bonded labour, and labour rights violations (for example in relation to product manufacture). As a member of the London Universities Procurement Consortium (LUPC), SMG is affiliated to Electronics Watch, an international, non-profit, collaborative organisation of public authorities which monitors global electronics supply chains for human rights abuses. Much of SMG’s ICT and AV equipment is ethically procured through LUPC frameworks.
- The standard contracts of SMG and its trading company contain clauses requiring suppliers and other contractors to ensure that modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and bonded labour, and labour rights violations do not occur in their supply chain. SMG has also, where appropriate, secured the ability to terminate such contracts immediately if such a breach of clauses arises.
- SMG continues to consider how best to conduct its due diligence on key suppliers to ensure that they are observing acceptable ethical labour practices in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking. This includes undertaking enquiries before procuring services from a supplier and, on a case-by-case basis, considering further enquiries to make of prospective suppliers. SMG continues to consider how best to ensure suppliers are compliant with the Act and to give assurances that they enforce acceptable ethical standards both within their own business and within their supply chains.
- If SMG discovers that suppliers (or potential suppliers) are, or have been, involved in modern slavery SMG’s policy is to do one or more of the following:
a. report any unlawful behaviour to the relevant authorities;
b. take reasonable steps to encourage the supplier to remedy any unlawful or unethical behaviour;
c. take reasonable steps to require the supplier to provide further assurances that all unlawful or unethical behaviour has ceased and will not recur;
d. where possible, refrain from placing any future business to those suppliers; and
e. where appropriate, terminate such relationships with such suppliers. - SMG operates a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
- SMG has notified relevant staff of the law in this sector and on the consequences of modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and bonded labour, and labour rights violations. In the next Financial Year SMG will be looking at offering training opportunities for the relevant staff in relation to issues of law in this sector and improving its policies, practices and procedures SMG is also considering membership of Sedex to further develop its socially and environmentally sustainable supply chains in the context of its retail activity.
- Updated: April 2023
