§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Attorney-General what steps he is taking following the proposal by the students union of the Polytechnic of North London to pay £1,000 to striking miners; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralFollowing reports that payments were likely to be made out of the funds of the North London polytechnic students' union which would be incompatible with its charitable status, I appliedex-parte to the High Court on 11 December 1984 for an injunction restraining the officers of the union from making or authorising such payments.
That application was granted; and on 14 December the court extended the injunction until 4 February 1985 or further order.
It subsequently came to my notice that there was nevertheless a risk that the funds of the union might be applied in a manner that was incompatible with the terms of the injunction. Accordingly, and in the absence of an undertaking on the part of the union officers that they would comply with the injunction, I appled on 27 December for the appointment of a receiver to safeguard those funds. The court has appointed Mr. Clive Sherling, a partner in Arthur Andersen and Co., chartered accountants, to act as receiver until after judgment in the main action, when the court is expected to rule on the legality of the disputed payments.