The House of Lords Bribery Act 2010 Committee will hear evidence
from representatives of the UK defence, aerospace and construction
companies about the impact of the Bribery Act 2010 on their
business and operational practices in the UK and overseas. The
session will take place on Tuesday 11 September.
The inquiry is tasked with examining: the effectiveness of
the Bribery Act 2010; whether there has been stricter prosecution
of corrupt conduct, a higher conviction rate, and a reduction of
such conduct; the impact of the Act on SMEs; and the use
of Deferred Prosecution Agreements in relation to
bribery offences.
Giving evidence to the Committee at 10.30am will
be:
-
Philip Bramwell – Group General Counsel, BAE
Systems plc
-
Joanna Talbot – Chief Counsel, Compliance &
Regulation, BAE Systems plc
-
Mark Gregory – General Counsel, Rolls-Royce
plc
Questions are likely to include:
-
How often do you think British defence companies
encounter bribery in their day-to-day operations within the
UK and overseas?
-
Has the Bribery Act deterred your businesses from
exporting abroad, or otherwise harmed your ability to
compete with companies from countries with less stringent
anti-bribery measures?
-
What does the Government currently do to assist
defence companies with understanding and complying with the
Bribery Act? Should it do more?
-
Should the UK make specific allowances for
facilitation payments?
-
Have your companies and your sub-contractors
developed effective anti-bribery policies as a result
of the Bribery Act?
-
How does the Bribery Act compare with equivalent
legislation in other countries?
Giving evidence to the Committee at 11:40am will
be:
-
Keely Hibbitt, Group Head of Business
Integrity, Balfour Beatty plc
-
Chris Blythe, CEO of the Chartered Institute
of Builders,
-
Peter Carden, UK Anti-Corruption
Forum
Questions are likely to include:
-
How prevalent is bribery within the UK’s construction
sector, and how often do British companies encounter
bribery in their day-to-day operations within the UK and
overseas?
-
Does the Bribery Act and its associated guidance
adequately account for the specific challenges and
complexities faced by the construction
industry?
-
What does your company do to tackle petty bribery, of
the kind which might occur on building sites and with
contractors?
-
Has the Bribery Act deterred British construction
companies from exporting abroad, or otherwise harmed their
competitiveness in relation to companies from countries
with less stringent anti-bribery measures?
The evidence session will start at 10.30am in
Committee Room 4.
