Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with online retailers on the (a) environmental and (b) ethical implications of fast fashion (i) production and (ii) pricing models.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Department engages regularly with retailers on a broad range of matters relating to the fashion industry, including its environmental and ethical implications.
The UK supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises.
We recognise that trade policy is an important tool in a comprehensive approach to prevent, identify and eliminate forced labour in global supply chains and are considering measures that can help improve supply chain transparency and traceability. As part of the Trade Strategy, we have announced a review of our approach to ensuring responsible business conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK.
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