Bribery Bill pushed through parliament

The UK Bribery Bill was die to be passed yesterday, bringing the country into compliance with OECD anti-corruption guidance.

The UK parliament is set to pass the bribery bill after the House of Commons yesterday approved the anti-corruption legislation, paving the way for unlimited fines for UK companies found guilty of failure to prevent bribery.

The bill was drafted last year to finally bring the UK in line with long-term lobbying from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and punitive US legislation such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, writes Risk.net.

Gavin Cunningham, head of corruption investigation at BDO Forensic,said: " There have been no amendments of a substantive nature and the bill has always had all-party support."

"Because it was introduced in the House of Lords it has to go back to the Lords for them to review it and vote on the amendments before finally passing it."

The drive for anti-corruption legislation for firms was underlined by the high-profile bribery allegations against arms firm BAE as part of a long-running investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over its dealings with the Saudi royal family.

"The SFO is cracking down on overseas bribery and has made it clear that just having a policy will not be a sufficient defence," said Tony Lewis, bribery and corruption partner at legal firm Field Fisher Waterhouse.

"Companies will need to make sure that policies are tailored and robustly implemented. Staff must be trained and compliance will need to be monitored. The SFO will be looking for a clear statement of an anti-corruption culture, fully and visibly supported at the highest levels."

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