Textile And Footwear Industries

Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) textile clothing and (b) footwear firms he and his predecessor have visited over the last 10 years; and if he will name them and the dates of such visits.

Mr. Douglas Hogg
This information is not available. However Ministers in my Department are fully aware of the concerns of both industries, and in recent months there have been a number of meetings with their representatives.