United Kingdom
Modern Slavery Act UK: statements, policy and reporting
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is the UK law people mean when they ask for a modern slavery statement or policy. Section 54 sets the transparency rules for larger organisations. This guide covers who must publish, what the Home Office registry shows, and how to produce a document that works for the Act and for supplier portals.
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Key takeaways
- Yes, the UK has modern slavery legislation: the Modern Slavery Act 2015, with section 54 on transparency in supply chains.
- Commercial organisations with £36 million+ UK turnover that supply goods or services and carry on business in the UK must publish an annual modern slavery statement.
- Many smaller suppliers still need a statement or policy because buyers and portals ask for one.
- Publishing on your website is the legal core; adding it to the GOV.UK registry is strongly encouraged and becoming the norm.
Do you need a modern slavery statement?
Answer a few questions for a quick steer. Guidance only, not legal advice.
Has a customer or supplier portal asked you for a modern slavery statement or policy?
Who must publish under the Modern Slavery Act UK?
Section 54 applies to a commercial organisation that is a body corporate or partnership, carries on a business (or part of a business) in the UK, supplies goods or services, and has a total annual turnover of £36 million or more. If that describes you, you must prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year and publish it in a prominent place on your UK website.
If you are below the threshold, you are not under that statutory duty. You may still be asked for a modern slavery statement or modern slavery policy when onboarding to a customer or portal. That commercial ask is why many SMEs land on this page.
What the UK registry shows
The Home Office Modern Slavery Statement Registry aggregates what organisations have filed. Use it as market context, not as a target for your own word count.
- Unique statements on the registry
- 23,051
- Organisations registered
- 33,982latest snapshot
- Statements published (registry year 2026)
- 8,8022026
- Self-declare they must publish (2026)
- 32,1892026
- UK headquartered organisations (where declared)
- 20,792
Official headline total of unique statements.
32,903 private and 1,079 public self-declared.
Year still in progress; earlier full years are higher.
1,793 on the registry self-declare as voluntary for that year.
Among organisations that shared a headquarter location.
Basis: Registry headline totals and daily CSV aggregates
Statement vs policy in the UK
Portals often use the words loosely. They are different documents.
| Modern slavery statement | Modern slavery policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Public report on risks and actions for a period | Internal rules your people and suppliers must follow |
| Act hook | Section 54 transparency statement | Not the statutory product, but often requested commercially |
| Typical ask | Upload to website and/or GOV.UK registry | Upload to a supplier portal as evidence of controls |
| Start here | Statement template guide | Policy template guide |
What a strong UK statement covers
Home Office guidance recommends six topic areas: organisation structure and supply chains, policies, risk assessment, due diligence, training, and measuring effectiveness (KPIs). Registry filings for 2026 show most organisations that publish still tick supply chains, policies, risk assessment, due diligence and training far more often than KPIs.
For an SME writing voluntarily, you do not need a FTSE-length report. You do need honest scope (what you buy and where), a named owner, how you check higher-risk suppliers, and how someone can raise a concern. Pair that with a short policy if the portal asks for both.
- Name the legal entity and the financial year the statement covers.
- Describe operations and supply chains in plain language.
- Say what risks you see and what you actually do about them.
- Get appropriate board or director approval before you publish.
How to publish a UK modern slavery statement
Statutory filers and voluntary suppliers follow the same practical sequence.
- 1
Confirm whether section 54 applies
Check turnover, UK business presence and whether you supply goods or services. If you are under £36m, decide whether a customer still needs a voluntary statement.
- 2
Draft against the recommended topics
Cover structure, policies, risk, due diligence, training and how you judge effectiveness. Keep claims specific to your operations.
- 3
Approve and publish on your site
Get the right sign-off, then place the statement where it is easy to find from your UK homepage.
- 4
Add it to the GOV.UK registry
Create an organisation record and submit the statement summary so buyers can find it without emailing you.
Get the modern slavery statement template
Email the editable outline, then fill it with your UK operations and supply-chain detail.
FAQs
Does the UK have modern slavery legislation?+
What is the purpose of the UK Modern Slavery Act?+
Who needs a modern slavery policy in the UK?+
What year did the Modern Slavery Act come to the UK?+
Where should I publish a UK modern slavery statement?+
Need a portal-ready modern slavery statement?
ESG Complete prepares a tailored PDF for supplier onboarding, usually within the hour.
Modern Slavery Statement
A standalone, portal-ready Modern Slavery Statement for vendors who only need this one document. (AU$159 inc GST)
Get started->Prefer it written for you?
Request done-for-you drafting for a UK-ready statement. We review requests manually before confirming.
Requests for the Modern Slavery are reviewed and prepared manually, we'll follow up by email.
Data sources
Registry figures: UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry (Open Government Licence v3.0).