A COUNCIL which has faced criticism over its stance towards modern slavery is set to acknowledges its shared responsibility to recognise the signs of such exploitative practices and prevent them from happening.

The proposed adoption of procedures to help Conservative-led Hambleton District Council meet its duty to help tackle modern slavery across the district comes more than a year after the Cooperative Party described it as “deeply concerning” that the authority had not responded to any letters, emails or phone calls inviting the council to sign up to an anti-slavery charter.

The Cooperative Party said there was evidence of modern slavery in every UK postcode and North Yorkshire County Council had immediately considered and adopted the charter, along with 100 other councils of differing political persuasions.

A policy set to be adopted by Hambleton council next week states it “recognises that everyone has a right to protection from modern slavery” and that it is committed to ensuring staff, volunteers and councillors are aware of modern slavery.

The proposed policy would also see services managed to minimise the risk of modern slavery, a system created for dealing with concerns about possible modern slavery, swift responses to all suspicions or allegations of modern slavery and moves to ensuring its supply chain is free from modern slavery.