§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she has taken to work with British business to strengthen support for investment and trade which contributes to sustainable development. [63646]
§ Clare ShortWe have greatly strengthened the links between the department and British business since May 1997. We have established a Business Partnership Unit for this purpose and now consult with Business when preparing our strategies for working with individual countries or multilateral development agencies: we also seek to improve the operating environment for investment and trade (for example, through consultative forums on regulatory constraints); help business meet their corporate responsibility objectives (for example, through joint projects to tackle social and environmental issues and invest in the health and education of the workforce) and through partnerships which deepen the impact of business on the local economy (for example, through projects to help large business source from local suppliers). These initiatives all contribute to sustainable development and assist British businesses to invest and trade with the poorest countries.