Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the enforcement of section 32 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 by the Certification Officer.

Section 32 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires a trade union to send an annual report to the Certification Officer.

The Certification Officer is the regulator of trade unions and employer associations. The Certification Officer has the power to require a union to provide its annual return. The annual return must include, among other things, details of the union’s finances for the reporting year.

It is not for Government to compel a union to provide its annual return. That is for the Certification Officer, who is independent of Government.