Sports Direct's Ashley faces jail if parliament face-off continues

The committee has invited the Sports Direct founder to give evidence at a Westminster about what response the sports good retailer has made after media reports about the poor pay and treatment of the company's workers.

In a letter to Ashley, committee chairman Iain Wright said: “A number of alternative dates have been offered to you by the committee clerk, but as yet you have not accepted any of them, nor agreed in principle to attend. As you will be aware, select committees do not normally need to have recourse to our formal powers to summon witnesses in order to secure attendance; refusal to attend without good reason may be considered a contempt of the house."

Strangers, or those who are not members of parliament, who are found in contempt of parliament can be committed to prison.

“Should you fail in your reply to agree to attend on one of the dates offered to you, or a mutually convenient alternative before 1 June, the committee reserves the right to take the matter further, including seeking the support of the House of Commons in respect of any complaint of contempt.”

While Ashley has offered to meet the BIS committee privately at Sports Direct’s headquarters in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, Wright has declined “in line with select committees’ commitment to transparency”.

The company's efforts to remain under the radar saw journalists banned from attending September's annual shareholder meeting.