Sexual harassment claims against Philip Green don’t affect working culture, Arcadia claims

The Arcadia representative was questioned by MPs today about the sustainability and ethical practice of the company

The allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and racial abuse that have been made against Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green don't affect the working culture at Arcadia, a representative of the company has claimed.

Jamie Beck, head of supplier management at Arcadia, was questioned about the company’s sustainability and ethical ethos in parliament today during a session led by the Environmental Audit Committee.

Mary Creagh, chair of the committee, asked Beck to explain the impact that Green has had within the organisation.

In October, it was revealed that Green had been accused sexual harassment and racial abuse by his staff.

The allegations were first reported in The Daily Telegraph, although Green’s identity was kept concealed due to an injunction that the businessman had been granted.

However, the next day Labour peer Peter Hain exercised parliamentary privilege in order to name Green as the accused in the House of Lords.

Green later rejected the claims, stating that he never intended to cause offence and that the comments that he'd made had been “banter”.

“How does having a boss like that affect the culture in your group with regards to workers’ rights?” Creagh asked Beck during today's parliamentary session, to which Beck replied: “It doesn’t affect it at all.”

When Creagh continued to press Beck for an answer, he then said: “I’m not here to comment on that specifically”, adding that he thought he had been called to attend the select committee session to discuss “supply chain and workers’ rights”.

Creagh then explained that it was important to focus on Green’s allegations when assessing workers’ rights, as “he sets the standard and the tone for your dealings with workers further down the chain.”

It was recently announced that Beyoncé had decided to officially cut ties with Green by pulling her clothing line, Ivy Park, from Topshop.

The singer launched the athleisure clothing brand with Topshop in 2016.