Draft Regulations laid before Parliament under section 11(8) of the Trade Union Act 2016 for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament.

2017 No. XXXX

Trade Unions

The Trade Union Act 2016 (Political Funds) (Transition Period) Regulations 2017

Made

Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1

The Secretary of State has, in accordance with section 11(7) of the Trade Union Act 20161 (“the 2016 Act”), consulted the Certification Officer and all trade unions that have a political fund, about the length of the transition period mentioned in section 11(5) of the 2016 Act.

A draft of these Regulations was laid before Parliament in accordance with section 11(8) of the 2016 Act and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 11(6) of the 2016 Act, makes the following Regulations.

Citation and commencement1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Trade Union Act 2016 (Political Funds) (Transition Period) Regulations 2017.

2

These Regulations come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

Transition period2

The transition period referred to in section 11(5) of the Trade Union Act 2016 is the period of 12 months beginning on 1st March 2017.

NameParliamentary Under Secretary for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate ResponsibilityDepartment for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 11 of the Trade Union Act 2016 (c.15) (“the 2016 Act”) inserts section 84 (contributions to political funds from members of the union), section 84A (information to members about contributing to political fund) and section 85 (manner of giving effect to section 84) into the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c.52) (“the 1992 Act”) and amends section 82 (rules as to political fund) of the 1992 Act. These sections apply, after commencement and at the end of a transition period, to a person:-

a

who joins a trade union that has a political fund, or

b

who is a member of a trade union that has a political fund but did not have one immediately before the end of the transition period.

Section 11(5) of the 2016 Act provides that the transition period must be a period of not less than 12 months, starting on the day on which section 11 comes into force. These regulations provide that the transition period shall be the period of 12 months beginning on 1st March 2017.

A full impact assessment of the effect that the 2016 Act will have on the costs of business and the voluntary public sector will be available shortly from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.