The BBC has learned by the BBC to establish the first England schools that the government has described them as the “Great British Energy Solar Panel”.

The first 11 schools involved in the GB Energy Scheme bought solar panels from two Chinese firms, Aico and Longi.

The government said the scheme was “the first major project for Great British Energy – British people owned by British people”.

Labor MP Sarah Champion said GB Energy should buy solar panels from companies in UK instead of China, where forced labor allegations have been made in supply chains.

“I am really excited about the principle of GB energy,” he told BBC News.

“But this is the taxpayers’ money and we should not support slave labor with that money. And wherever possible we should support good working practices and buy British if we can.”

He said: “This means that yes, unfortunately, in the short term, solar panels are probably a little more expensive.

“In the UK too, Taiwan, Canada has solar panels worldwide.”

Both Longi and Aco told the BBC that they forced labor in their production and supply chains.

China is the leading manufacturer of the world of solar panels and suppliers in the Xinjiang region have been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims.

Earlier this year, the law was replaced to ban GB energy from investing in renewal, if there is evidence of modern slavery in their production.

China has dominated the market and, according to the International Energy Agency, the country’s global share in all manufacturing stages of solar panels is more than 80%.

The Champion, who is the chairman of the International Development Selection Committee, stated that “abuse in renewable supply chains is difficult to instill and out”.

But he urged the ministers to exclude the human rights criminals known by winning public contracts.

An GB energy spokesperson said that all the solar contracts issued under the initiative of the schools complied with the modern slavery rules of the UK.

Up to 50% of Polisilicon’s world supply – a major component in solar panels is estimated to come from the Xinjiang region.

Mark Candleish is the director of GB-Sol, who calls himself the only manufacturer of traditional solar panels in the UK.

He said that polycylicon was “an important social issue facing our industry, which was forced to forcible labor in the main mining areas”.

He said: “The global solar market is so dominated in China that it is difficult to avoid buying sugar if you want low cost energy and low carbon benefits of solar PV.”

Many businesses and governments – including the UK – buy Chinese solar panels as they are cheaper than those made elsewhere.

According to HMRC trade data, two -thirds (68%) of solar panels imported by the UK came from China. This is an increase on this figure in 2023, when Chinese products were responsible for 61% of the UK solar imports.

In 2023, a report by the University of Sheffield Hallm connected various solar companies to suppliers in Xinjiang region.

One of the authors of the report, Allen Cropford stated that the normal reduction of transparency in the entire solar supply chain was higher than 2023, when his highly-desired report was published.

“Companies who were ready to comment are now silent,” he said.

GB Energy is a state -owned company that was established by the Labor Government to invest in renewal like solar energy.

In its first major investment, GB energy is spending £ 200 meters on roof solar for 200 schools across the country and NHS hospitals.

The first installment of this funding has been spent on Chinese solar panels for 11 schools.

The Education Department told the BBC that which companies had created solar panels in response to freedom of information request.

A GB Energy spokesperson said that the company “would lead the route in the moral supply chains” and insisted that “there was no place for forced labor or immoral practices in the UK energy infection”.

The spokesperson said: “This is why we are offering a statutory duties on great British energy to prevent modern slavery in our supply chains, and all public-support renewable programs are reviewing suppliers transparency and disclosure standards to ensure confidence in renewable programs.

“All contracts issued under the solar initiative of this school and hospital have been complied with UK procurement rules, including comprehensive requirements under the Modern Slavery Act.

“GBE will try to maintain these requirements in its contract system and the solar supply chain is actively engaged with international partners to increase the bar globally on accountability.”

China has been accused of committing crime against humanity against Uygar population and most other Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

In state-provided programs, detainees are forced to produce goods, including a main component in solar panels, as per the US Labor Department.

The Chinese government has denied all the allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Both Longi and Aco are members of the solar stewardship Initiative, which is a plan designed to develop confidence in the supply chain and develop source responsible for solar panels.

A spokesman from Aiko said that the company was “committed to maintaining the highest standards of moral trade conduct and responsible sourcing”.

The spokesman said, “We take any concern related to human rights and labor practices seriously and expect our suppliers to do so.”

“As part of our ongoing efforts, we connect with suppliers to promote transparency and continuous improvement in line with international guidelines. We are also monitoring the development of the global supply chain and committed to working with stakeholders to support a fair and durable solar industry.”

Longi stated that it regrets the findings of the report of Sheffield Hallum University and “clearly confirms that there is no place within our forced labor series”.

A spokesperson of the company said the conclusion in the over-expotent report “Long has not fully reflected comprehensive measures to ensure complete compliance of international labor standards”.

The spokesperson said, “Independent third-party plays play an important role in verifying audit compliance and identifying potential risks.”

“While the complexity of the global supply chains presents challenges, Longi forcibly remains stable in its efforts to eliminate any risk associated with labor.”