Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made in implementing the commitments set out in the EU/Bangladesh Sustainability Compact.

Good progress has been made since the signing of the Sustainability Compact in Bangladesh in all three areas of commitment. On Labour rights, the adoption of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2013 and finalisation of the implementation rules of the Labour Law in October 2015 are important milestones. On health and safety, the Government of Bangladesh has adopted a robust National Health and Safety policy and inspection of 3,500+ factories for fire, electrical and building safety represents important progress. Private sector initiatives such as ‘The Accord’ and ‘The Alliance’ are making a big contribution to the safety of factory workers.