Bribery Bill [HL]

My Lords, this is a very obscure. The Minister is talking about what is called, in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, a covert human intelligence source. These people come in many shapes and sizes. They are sometimes paid and used to be known as informers. They are sometimes paid by the law enforcement agency to produce information which may or may not fall within the definitions of the Bill. I have never heard it suggested that what is done by way of paying them for that information and undercover work constitutes a bribe. The Minister is now saying that it does. If that is the case, the whole thing is subsumed into the machinery of RIPA, whereby there would have to be an authorisation for this, which would be given to the police or other law enforcement agency that is asking someone to carry out the job. Is it intended that this should be the authority that gives rise to the defence in the clause? If so, that is a complete novelty.