§ Mr. Lyellasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of trade unions have opted out of payment of the political levy in each year commencing 1978.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkAccording to the certification officer's published reports the number of members of trade unions with political funds who did not contribute to those funds in each of the years since 1978 for which figures are available was as follows:
Number 1978 1,805,236 1979 1,842,668 1980 1,756,847 1981 1,733,737 1982 1,534,492 ASTMS did not supply a figure in its 1981 and 1982 annual returns of accounts to the certification officer for the number of its members contributing to the political fund. The 1981 figures for members contributing to political funds and for total union membership contained in the relevant certification officer's report include the figures given in ASTMS' 1980 annual return. The 1982 figures for members contributing to political funds and for total union membership contained in the relevant certification officer's report exclude ASTMS members altogether. The last available figures (1980) provided by ASTMS indicate that the number of members who did not contribute to the political fund was 344,000. If this figure is included, the total given above for 1982 becomes 1,878,492.