To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if (a) his Department and (b) the Certification Officer will make an assessment of the probity and appropriateness of trades unions purchasing political party memberships from political fund revenues (i) with and (ii) without the consent of the trades union members who are joined up.

The Certification Officer has certain statutory powers in relation to trade union political funds. These statutory powers extend to approving trade union political fund rules that must contain certain elements such as separate political funds and the ability for members to opt out of paying into the trade union's political fund. He can also determine complaints about ballots for establishing or renewing a political resolution.

The effect of the legislation contained in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 is to ensure payments for certain specified political objectives can only be made from the political funds of a union as established in accordance with that legislation. The manner in which those funds are spent is a matter for the trade union's rules and the Certification Officer has no direct role in relation to the appropriateness or probity of such payments.