Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Groceries Code Adjudicator, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulatory bodies for other industries, including the garment industry.

Increased regulatory burdens result in increased costs for business, and could have an anticompetitive impact by restricting choice, driving up prices and inhibiting innovation in the supply of services.

In the response to the single enforcement body consultation published last year, the government reaffirmed its commitment to continue to engage with the enforcement bodies and industry partners to strengthen our understanding of levels of non-compliance across the garment trade. We will continue to review this issue and consider options to drive up standards across the sector.