To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the work of the trade union certification officer.

The Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employer Associations is an independent authority appointed under statute. He has a number of functions, which include ensuring that trade unions keep proper accounts, ensuring observance of the law on union mergers, reimbursing certain costs of unions' postal ballots and dealing with complaints about union executive elections and membership registers. Copies of the certification officer's annual report for 1990, which was published on 16 April, are available in the Library.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he agree that the certification officer's workload should be lightened by following the best practice in Europe, as advocated by the Labour party, and banning contributions from trade unions to political parties? Does he agree that the certification officer needs more staff to ensure that the fiasco that took place in the union that sponsors the Leader of the Opposition does not take place again?

My hon. Friend, typically, shows a close interest in and care for the work of the certification officer and I am glad that he has brought it to the attention of the House. May I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the work of the certification officer and to assure my hon. Friend that, as in many other matters of industrial relations legislation, we shall keep this under the closest possible review? When evidence shows the need for action, we shall not hesitate to take it.