§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to promote the textile industry; and if he will make a statement. [99206]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe 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, my Department 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.
In addition, I met with the industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group in October to discuss their progress on the development of a national strategy for the industry. I am impressed with the positive steps this Group has made and look forward to seeing the outcome of its work.