§ Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number 233W of representations he has received opposing the secret balloting of trade union members for election of union officials and before strikes.
§ Mr. NichollsIndividual responses to the Green Paper "Trade Unions and their Members" are treated in confidence by my Department. Of the 54 responses to the proposal to require all political fund ballots and elections to principal executive committees to be by the fully postal method only, only 19 expressed disapproval. Of 55 comments on the proposal to give trade union members a right to restrain their union from authorising or endorsing industrial action without a secret ballot only 14 were against.