To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to require companies to undertake a ballot of all employees before making donations to political parties. [82640]

The Government do not see a case for requiring companies to ballot employees before making donations to political parties. They have accepted the recommendation of the Committee on Standards in Public Life that there should be a legal obligation on companies intending to make a political donation to have the prior authority of their shareholders, and have published a consultative document seeking views on the implementation of the Committee's recommendations.