The chief executive of the trade lobby group for Britain’s luxury brands had told MPs that Savile Row suits should have the same protected status as Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish clotted cream. Helen Brocklebank, chief executive at Walpole’s, said: “If we don’t put protections around these incredible regional clusters of highly skilled craftsmen that are unique to our country, then we could risk losing those skills over the next 10 or 15 years. This is a massive opportunity. Why are we making ourselves less competitive?”

Ms Brocklebank made the comments as Walpole published a report into the economic value of the UK’s luxury sector, which found the industry was now contributing £81bn a year, a 69 per cent increase over the past five years.

Essentially, MPs are being urged to widen the Protected Geographical Indication regime to include Savile Row. At the moment, the regime grants certain products from a specific place legal protection from misuse and imitation and Walpole is urging the government to expand the category to cover hand-made crafts.

Ms Brocklebank added that it was a “really easy” change to make that would move the dial for these “unique national assets”. She said: “If the scheme was extended to include non-produce-based craft products – like Savile Row tailoring – this would help protect the skills these industries rely on and, in turn, the communities they support.”

There are fears that British craftspeople are being put at a disadvantage compared with those in the EU, which has granted protected status to certain non-food and drink products. This includes Limoges porcelain in France, which was given the status in 2017.