§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to meet representatives of the textile sector to discuss job losses in the industry. [101058]
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§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI met the Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group, which includes representatives of textiles and clothing manufacturers, trade associations, unions, retailers and academia, to discuss issues affecting the industry on 13 October. Other DTI ministers are planning to meet representatives of the industry to discuss these issues further before Christmas
§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the(a) Knitting Industry Federation and (b) National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades about the textile industry; and if he will make a statement. [101057]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe Department has received a number of representations about the textiles industry, including representations from the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades.
I appreciate the widespread concern in the industry about the number and rate of job losses in the sector and I am keeping a close eye on developments. In particular, I am looking forward to seeing the report from the industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group, which will contain recommendations for action to address a number of the issues currently affecting the industry.
§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what(a) capital and (b) revenue financial assistance he has given to the textile sector in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000. [101059]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe Government offer support for capital investment under the Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) scheme. RSA offered to the textiles and clothing industry in Great Britain in recent years was as follows:
Year £ 1996–97 12,505,000 1997–98 5,863,000 1998–99 4,175,000 In addition to capital support, the textiles and clothing industries have benefited from a wide range of government assistance in areas such as trade promotion, training, research and technical development, supply chain development, spreading best practice and support for design.