§ Mr. OppenheimTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has published orders containing the qualifications of independent scrutineers of certain trade union ballots and elections and consequential changes to the trade union ballot funding scheme.
§ Mr. CopeThe Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) Order 1988 has been published today. It specifies the conditions that a person must meet to be eligible for appontment as a scrutineer of certain ballots and elections which, under section 15 of the Employment Act 1988, will be subject to independent scrutiny from 1 February 1989. The order also specifies the following three bodies as being eligible for appointment as scrutineers:
- The Electorial Reform Society of Great Britain and Ireland Ltd.
- The Industrial Society
- Unity Security Balloting Services Ltd.
The Funds for Trade Union Ballots (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 1988 have also been published today. These regulations amend the scheme under which trade unions may reclaim certain costs associated with secret postal ballots to reflect the new statutory requirement for independent scrutiny of certain ballots and elections which comes into force on 1 February 1989.