HC Deb 23 March 1972 vol 833 cc347-8W
43. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give for the latest or the most convenient stated date the number of trade unions, with their memberships, which have given notice of their intentions to register under the Industrial Relations Act.

Mr. Bryan

I am informed by the Registrar that on 17th March 148 organisations of workers, with a total membership of about 1¾ million, were registered as trade unions, and that a further 126 organisations of workers, with a total membership of about 1¾ million, were entered in the provisional register.

Mr. Ted Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list, to the most recent convenient date, the number of trade unions, together with their membership, which have applied to deregister under the Industrial Relations Act; and what proportions these figures represent of the number of trade unions and their membership.

Mr. Bryan

As at 17th March 140 organisations of workers with total membership of approximately 6,783,500 had been cancelled from the provisional register at their request; applications for cancellation were outstanding from a further six trade unions on the full and provisional registers with approximately 18,500 members.

Taken together, these figures yield a total of 146 organisations of workers with a membership of 6,802,000 which have applied to be removed from the provisional register since it was established on 1st October, 1971. The latest figures for comparison of the total number of organisations of workers, and their membership, are for December, 1970. At that date there were 481 organisations of workers with a membership of about 11 million. The number of organisations of workers which have applied to be removed from the provisional register represents 30 per cent., and their membership 62 per cent., of the total figures.

Forward to