A group of 13 retailers, including George at Asda, River Island and New Look, joined investors and NGOs in co-signing the letter to Priti Patel alongside 50 cross-party MPs.

Joules, Matalan, Morrisons, Mountain Warehouse, N Brown and The Very Group were among the other signatories.

The joint letter, coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) alongside the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fashion and Textiles and the APPG on Ethics and Sustainability, called for the introduction of statutory licensing of garment factories in the UK. This would include protecting workers from forced labour, debt bondage and mistreatment, as well as ensuring payment of National Minimum Wage, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance and holiday pay, and improving health and safety.