Bribery Bill [Lords]

I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's point, but we cannot easily get away from this matter. Of course, one can set up a prosecutorial system in which Parliament, the Executive and the Government have absolutely no say whatever in any prosecutorial decisions, but I think that is fanciful because, as we have said in previous debates, there are times when public interest elements come into play that make it absolutely essential that someone who is answerable politically should take the final decision. If the choice is between prosecuting someone and having a nuclear exchange with another country, it might legitimately fall to the Executive to take a view. We have had such problems in relation to hijackings; the situation arises on numerous occasions. I repeat that I do not have a concluded view on this. However, my gut instinct has always been that if the person who has to take the final decision has to come to the House and answer for it, that might produce a more robust political and public debate than if someone comes along and says that an independent, permanent official at a very high level has taken the relevant decision, but then be unable to give a better explanation or a better defence. I simply flag that up, but I think that the Lord Chancellor is also aware of this issue.