§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the occasions year by year since 1979 when allegations of malpractice in the matter of election to the principal executive committee of trade unions have been made to his Department; if he will indicate which trade unions were involved; and on how many occasions convictions followed such allegations.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant io his reply, 19 December 19831: This Department receives a number of letters each year alleging election malpractice in trade unions but these form only a part of a very large volume of correspondence on trade union matters. It would not be possible to analyse this correspondence in the way requested without incurring disproportionate cost. Since the Department has no power to investigate such allegations, correspondents are normally recommended to seek independent legal advice. There are no means of identifying how many of the allegations of malpractice which are the subject of letters to the Department also become the subject of legal proceedings.