Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1206 on Political Levy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on trade union members that have not previously opted-in to a political levy but that have also not actively opted-out.

The Employment Rights Bill substantively restores the position on political fund contributions to before the passage of the Trade Union Act 2016. This will mean trade union members will automatically be opted-in to contribute to a political fund, unless they expressly opt-out. We are proposing existing trade union members who did not opt-in to the political fund post 2016 would remain opted-out, and therefore we do next expect there to be any impact on these members.