§ Mr. Russell BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether her Department has186W carried out an assessment of the impact on the textile industry in the UK of the worldwide economic downturn since 11 September; [53237]
(2) what action her Department has taken to support the textile industry in the UK since 11 September. [53238]
§ Mr. Alexander[holding answer 30 April 2002]: The Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of the events of 11 September on the textile industry. However, we continue to work closely with the industry's own Textile and Clothing Strategy Group (TCSG) to help to improve the industry's productivity and competitiveness, a process which has been in place since before the events of 11 September. The Government have provided more than £80 million to the industry since 1997, and in the last year alone, spent close to £8 million on encouraging innovation within the industry by developing the technical textiles market, developing supply chain and design skills, promoting the benefits of e-commerce and providing export support and education and training opportunities.
My officials maintain an on-going dialogue with the industry and keep in close contact with regional bodies including the devolved Administrations, industry representative organisations such as the British Apparel and Textile Confederation (BATC), and textile and clothing companies as well as the TCSG.