§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government plans to take to strengthen through international forums the obligations and responsibilities of multinational companies in respect of(a) environmental and (b) labour standards. [60663]
§ Mr. MandelsonThe Government are working to encourage a positive response by United Kingdom companies to calls for socially and environmentally responsible behaviour. We are also working with our OECD counterparts to review the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, which set down the firm expectation of how member Governments expect their companies to behave in the areas covered by the Guidelines. As part of this review, we will be calling for the principles of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work to be incorporated into the Guidelines.