Extract from
International Trade questions
(Brent North)
(Lab): When I wrote to the Secretary of State in
November to ask for an investigation into his Department’s
support for any British businesses engaged in corrupt practices,
he replied saying that his Department had no power to conduct
such an investigation. Last week, after the publicity surrounding
Roll-Royce’s deferred prosecution, he announced precisely such an
investigation. When did the powers of his Department change, when
will the inquiry report back, and will he explain why he has
refused to comply with the open government principles of the OECD
anti-bribery convention?
The Minister for Trade and Investment (Greg
Hands): Rolls-Royce has made it clear that it will
not tolerate improper business conduct of any sort. It continues
to co-operate fully with the Serious Fraud Office, and we await
the final outcome, on which it would not be proper to comment
beforehand. UK Export Finance notes, and is reviewing, the
statement of facts released as part of the deferred prosecution
agreement with regards to Rolls-Royce, but the details of the
statement are a matter for the SFO and it would not be
appropriate to comment further at this stage.
Extract from Business
Questions
(Walsall South)
(Lab):...The Government will want to take note, in
negotiations, that the Serious Fraud Office has found
that Rolls-Royce admitted it used
multimillion pound bribes to secure export orders and received
financial support from the Government’s credit agency in 1991,
when it paid a $2 million bribe to win a contract with Indonesia.
There is a review, so may we have a statement on what safeguards
there will be to ensure that, as the Government negotiate trade
deals around the world in 730 days’ time, there will not be a
repeat of this?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr David
Lidington):...The hon. Lady asked me about trade deals.
One change since the days to which she referred is that
Parliament enacted the Bribery Act 2010, which has made a
profound difference to the duties imposed on the directors and
managers of United Kingdom companies when they do business
overseas. In addition, the terms of the International Development
Act 2002 mean that aid and help for the poorest in the world
cannot be used to lubricate a trade deal in the way that once
might have been the case...
