Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to (a) reduce the sale of counterfeit fashion goods and (b) improve coordination between enforcement agencies to tackle such activity.

(a) The Government is reducing the sale of counterfeit fashion goods by supporting Police, Trading Standards and Border Force to take targeted enforcement action, disrupt online sales, seize counterfeit goods and use Proceeds of Crime Act powers to recover criminal profits, ensuring counterfeiting does not pay.

(b) Coordination is being strengthened through the IPO’s Counter-Infringement Strategy, the IPO-funded Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and the national network of IP Crime Coordinators. This is supported by further partnership working with Trading Standards and Border Force, alongside improved intelligence-sharing, training and multi-agency operations to tackle organised counterfeit supply chains.