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Section 116A: Provision of money for union modernisation

Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 · 1992 c. 52View on legislation.gov.uk

Part I: Trade Unions — Chapter IX: Miscellaneous and general provisions

The Secretary of State may provide money to a trade union to enable or assist it to do any or all of the following—

improve the carrying out of any of its existing functions;
prepare to carry out any new function;
increase the range of services it offers to persons who are or may become members of it;
prepare for an amalgamation or the transfer of any or all of its engagements;
ballot its members (whether as a result of a requirement imposed by this Act or otherwise).

No money shall be provided to a trade union under this section unless at the time when the money is provided the union has a certificate of independence.

Money may be provided in such a way as the Secretary of State thinks fit (whether as grants or otherwise) and on such terms as he thinks fit (whether as to repayment or otherwise).

If money is provided to a trade union under this section, the terms on which it is so provided shall be deemed to include a prohibition ("a political fund prohibition") on any of it being added to the political fund of the union.

If a political fund prohibition is contravened, the Secretary of State—

is entitled to recover from the trade union as a debt due to him an amount equal to the amount of money added to the union's political fund in contravention of the prohibition (whether or not that money continues to form part of the political fund); and
must take such steps as are reasonably practicable to recover that amount.

An amount recoverable under subsection (5) is a liability of the trade union's political fund.

Subsection (5) does not prevent money provided to a trade union under this section from being provided on terms containing further sanctions for a contravention of the political fund prohibition.

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.