Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK businesses do not benefit from child labour in Bangladesh.

The UK is committed to ending child labour globally, including in Bangladesh, and to ensuring UK businesses do not benefit from it.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with partners to engage businesses and investors to raise awareness of child labour risks in supply chains. This year, we have supported the Child Rights Action Hub in Bangladesh to reduce risks in informal, lower-tier supply chains. The Hub has trained 35 Child Rights Focal Points to identify child labour risks and strengthen community-based referral pathways. It has also engaged major textile industry associations to increase visibility of child labour risks in ready-made garment supply chains and promote sector-led action.

The FCDO's Asia Regional Child Labour Programme, our largest programme on child labour, supported interventions to reduce the vulnerability of children to exploitation across South Asia, including Bangladesh.

We will continue to work with international partners to accelerate progress towards ending child labour in line with Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7.