Bribery Bill [HL]

My Lords, I declare an interest in the Bill as a member—not an officer—of Transparency International UK, perhaps the leading NGO in this field. I was also a member of the Joint Committee which gave pre-legislative scrutiny to the Bill. I warmly welcome the Bill. It is important, because we all know of the amount of damage that is done by corruption, particularly in developing countries. It is also a Bill that is seriously overdue. The last major legislation on bribery took place in 1916, and it is nearly 13 years since the process that eventually led to this Bill began. I am very glad that the Bill’s substance has been supported from the start of the pre-legislative scrutiny to today by all three main parties. Unlike most Bills dealt with as part of the wash-up, this Bill has been fully scrutinised. Amendment 1 is acceptable in this case. However, I would be interested to know when it is likely to be possible to obtain the guidance that was added into this Bill as a result of the pressure from the Joint Committee. This Bill clarifies the meaning of bribery and extends the jurisdiction of British courts over bribery committed aboard, as well as imposing liability on companies that fail to take proper steps to guard against bribery being committed by their staff or agents. This is an excellent Bill and I am very glad that it will now receive Royal Assent.