Catherine West

I thank the Backbench Business Committee again for giving me this opportunity to promote sustainable fashion in the UK and to ask the Minister some questions. I enjoyed hearing about the picture in Leicester, as well as my visit to Leicester. I also enjoyed hearing about the recycling operations in Beckenham and Penge, and about luxury linen production in Northern Ireland. We heard, of course, about the human rights considerations. The key point to make is that some of our really good retailers are complying with the Government’s guidelines, but others are not doing so, and I think that is what is meant by trying to level things a little bit, so that not all of the cost goes on to our really good retailers and in the shops things are a bit more seamless—[Laughter]—so to speak. I also thank the Minister for exhibiting his usual flair—[Laughter.] He did so to talk about the importance of frictionless trade with the EU and to explain how he is straining every sinew to achieve that. The importance of research and development cash or funding was also discussed. I thank him for his offer to approach the MOD on military uniforms—hopefully, he will get his officials to do some digging for me on that issue—but there are prison uniforms and other places where it is necessary to wear uniforms. Of course the late payment strategy is so important for small business, as is cash availability for trade abroad by SMEs, which is another vital element of the trade strategy. We look forward to the responsible business review and hopefully we will be at the launch of it, whenever that is; we will come and applaud. I also thank Fashion Roundtable, Fashion Enter and Baroness Young of Hornsey for all they do to promote the understanding of and up-to-date information about all that is happening in the UK on sustainable fashion, so that we can be really accurate in our debates. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered onshoring in the fashion and textiles industry.