Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety on working conditions and safety standards in Bangladesh.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The Accord has played an important role in pushing up working conditions and safety standards in the Garments sector in Bangladesh. Since 2013 the Accord has independently inspected 1, 390 factories in the supply chains of their signatory brands. It has then supported those factories that continue to sell to Accord brands to implement Corrective Action Plans, resulting in safer factories for 2.4 million workers.

A review of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact, completed by the EU, US and ILO in January 2016, recognised the contribution of private sector initiatives such as the Accord in improving labour, health and safety conditions for Bangladeshi workers.