Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a garment trading adjudicator to regulate the purchasing practices of domestic fashion retailers.

The UK fashion industry is famed for its historic creativity and this government recognises the important role the sector plays both in our domestic economy and on the global stage.

It is important to take an evidence-based approach to considering policy options. As well as the garment trade adjudicator or fashion watchdog idea, there have been other proposals including licensing and increased guidance on managing supply chains. We will continue to review measures to drive up standards across the sector and monitor global regulatory proposals in the sector.