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Burberry chiefs to be quizzed by MPs

02/01/2007

Burberry chiefs will face a parliamentary committee over plans to close a Welsh plant and move 300 jobs to China.

The fashion label announced plans last year to close its Treorchy plant in south Wales, prompting a campaign to save jobs and keep the factory open. The campaign won support from actor Ioan Gruffud, a former global face for Burberry.

Bosses will now be asked to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on globalisation by the Commons Welsh affairs select committee regarding the factory's planned closure in March.

Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews, a leader of the Keep Burberry British campaign, said: "We are delighted that Burberry's bosses will be summoned before the House of Commons to justify their actions.

"We have always believed that the factory is profitable, and this will force Burberry to put figures on the table in public. It will also give everyone the opportunity to examine the scandalously mean redundancy proposals which Burberry has tabled," he said.

Mr Andrews said the company would now have to justify its claim of being a British brand while "seeking to move jobs from Britain to China".

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