Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Thursday, 21 October 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 27 October 1999. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Wednesday, 27 October 1999 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent steps he is taking to (a) promote and (b) safeguard the future of the UK textile industry.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent steps he is taking to (a) promote and (b) safeguard the future of the UK textile industry. [95790] Ms Hewitt: The Government work closely with the textiles industry on a number of key areas, including trade policy, education and training, exporting and industrial sponsorship. On the latter, the Department of Trade & Industry's Textile, Clothing and Footwear Unit is dedicated to assisting these industries to compete effectively. The Unit is currently funding over 20 projects targeting specific areas for future development, including product innovation, design, marketing, benchmarking and the development of supply chain partnerships. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for competitiveness met with the industry- led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group on 13 October 1999 to discuss with them progress on the development of a national strategy for the industry.

Secondary information