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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take on workers’ rights following the conclusion of the Alison Levitt QC report into exploitation in Leicester’s garment industry.

Exploiting vulnerable workers for commercial gain is despicable and we expect businesses to do all they can to tackle abuse and exploitation in their supply chains. The findings of this review are concerning and we expect Boohoo to continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies in their ongoing investigations in Leicester.

In response to the allegations of labour market non-compliance in Leicester garment factories, a taskforce led by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has been set up. The taskforce coordinates a multi-agency approach to enforcement activity, the gathering and sharing of intelligence and wider community engagement aimed at encouraging reporting and helping raise awareness of workers’ rights. It includes: HMRC National Minimum Wage; Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate; Leicestershire Police; National Crime Agency; Leicester City Council; Department for Work and Pensions and Immigration Enforcement. Where evidence of non-compliance is found, the enforcement bodies will take appropriate enforcement activity.

The Government is committed to improving enforcement of employment rights and following a consultation, we have announced our intention to create a single enforcement body. The single enforcement body will provide a clearer route for workers to raise a complaint and get support, enabling more coordinated enforcement action and the use of pooled intelligence to better target proactive enforcement.