Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he plans to incorporate living income as defined by the Living Income Community of Practice into the Government’s business and human rights policies; and what steps he will take to incorporate fair prices into his policies to deliver improved human rights in supply chains.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is a long-term supporter of the ISEAL Alliance, the umbrella organisation for standards systems such as Fairtrade and one of the founding members of the Living Income Community of Practice. We support efforts that work towards a living income in global supply chains.

The UK was the first country to produce a National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, demonstrating a high level of commitment that will feed into any future trade policy. We are committed to upholding the UK’s values, including around labour standards, and will consider the full range of mechanisms available in the design of future trade and investment agreements.