Eight garment factories in Leicester gave been subject to enforcement action since the start of lockdown.

The citys textile sector has been under the spotlight after Government ministers suggested bad working conditions had contributed to a local spike in Covid-19 cases.

Factory managers in the city have reacted by saying online a small minority are guilty of exploiting staff.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it had taken action against a number of businesses and was considering further enforcement action at other local firms where non-compliance with Covid-19 risk controls has been found, according to Baroness Stedman-Scott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Spot-checks in Leicester are understood to have been prioritised since the lockdown.

Inspections have been stepped up after concerns were raised over working conditions and pay rates being well below minimum wage.

Public Health England has maintained that the outbreak was not linked to any one setting or sector.

Following the latest concerns the police, Leicester City Council, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, National Crime Agency, HMRC, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue and Home Office Immigration Enforcement have investigated and visited some of the area's 1,000 garment manufacturers.

The GLAA said it found no evidence of modern slavery in visits it has made to Leicester textile firms at the start of the month.

The HSE has inspected 34 textile firms in Leicester since the start of the national coronavirus lockdown.

The firms inspected or where action has been taken have not been named.

Details came from Baroness Stedman-Scott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after a question was put to her about Leicesters clothing factories by Baroness Jenny Tonge.

She asked: What health and safety regulations are in place to protect workers' rights in clothing factories; and what assessment they have made of the adherence to those regulations of clothing factories in Leicester?

In a written answer, Baroness Stedman-Scott said: Specifically, since the lockdown, in Leicester HSE has inspected 34 textile businesses to assess compliance with health and safety legislation. Enforcement action has been taken at eight of these premises.

HSE will continue to regulate workplaces by carrying out proactive spot checks over the coming weeks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from Covid-19.

In Leicester, HSE has prioritised these spot checks in the textile industry and will take enforcement action to secure compliance where businesses cannot demonstrate they are taking all reasonable steps to make their workplace Covid secure.

HSE will also continue to respond to reports of concerns raised.

Meanwhile a Leicester MP has joined calls for the Government to provide immediate help for Leicester businesses affected by the extended lockdown.

Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South and Shadow Health Secretary contacted the Government this week on behalf of local businesses.

Mr Ashworth spoke to the prime minister and the chancellor to ask for help for both businesses in Leicester, and the neighbouring borough of Oadby and Wigston, which is also in extended lockdown.

His plea follows similar calls from city Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.

He said: "I made it clear that many businesses are on the edge and urgently need extra investment to get through this lockdown.

"Ministers insisted on putting the whole of Leicester and beyond into lockdown, they now have a responsibility to safeguard local jobs and livelihoods."

Non-essential retailers in the lockdown zone can reopen from July 24, but businesses such as pubs and restaurants, which are open elsewhere, must remain closed for the time being.

Mr Ashworth said : "As businesses that are central to the citys economy, such as food and drink businesses and evening and night-time businesses, still cannot open this entire sector of the economy is now facing hardship and job losses."

He also said that the forced closure of these non-essential retailers meant the businesses 'faced more hardship compared to others in England'.

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Action taken against Leicester textile factories over working conditions - Business Live