Bribery Bill [HL]

It goes on to say: ""For the defence in clause 12(1)(b) such authorisation should be the responsibility of the Secretary of State"." The report says at paragraph 198 on page 67: ""The 2003 Joint Committee called for the Government to reconsider its options, including the potential for narrowing the power of authorisation so that it excluded any act of bribery in pursuance of the UK’s economic interests"." It is clear that that means that what is authorised is the act of bribery; it is not authorising the use. Nor would it make much sense to say that what has to be authorised is the use of this for defence.