Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the human rights situation in Bangladesh in respect of that country's participation in the Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

The UK has been deeply saddened by the violence and loss of life in Bangladesh. The interim government has the UK’s full support as it works to restore peace and order. The Secretary State for Business and Trade and the Foreign Secretary speak regularly on a range of issues. The UK monitors all countries on the Developing Countries Trading Scheme for serious and systemic violations of human rights, labour rights and environmental obligations. We are monitoring the situation in Bangladesh closely and raising matters regularly with the Government of Bangladesh in London and via our High Commission in Dhaka.