Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce (a) human rights violations and (b) exploitative labour practices in fast fashion global supply chains.

The UK is committed to rooting out human rights violations and exploitative labour practices in all global supply chains, including in fast fashion.

The UK supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to respect human rights across their operations and supply relationships, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is undertaking a National Baseline Assessment of the UK's implementation of the UNGPs, which will contribute to the evidence base to inform the UK's approach to tackling business-related human rights abuses.

The Government is also currently reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct (RBC) policy. Focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, this review will be a neutral and objective appraisal of the UK's current RBC policy approach and alternative options which aim to enhance RBC.