Enforcing the Bribery Act: Lords to hear from City of London Police, the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority
What kind of bribery cases does the UK deal with? Are police resources and training adequate? Is there enough funding for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)? How are Deferred Prosecution Agreement decisions made?
The House of Lords Bribery Act 2010 Committee will hear evidence from the City of London Police, the SFO and the FCA about how the UK deals with bribery cases, whether there is sufficient funding and resources, and what improvements could be made. The session will take place on Tuesday 23 October.
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:
- Commander Karen Baxter – National Coordinator for Economic Crime, City of London Police
- Mike Betts – Head of Learning and Skills, City of London Police Economic Crime Academy, City of London Police
Questions are likely to include:
- What kind of bribery cases does the City of London Police typically handle, and what trends have you observed since the Bribery Act has been in force?
- How can use of the Bribery Act be encouraged?
- What mechanisms do UK law enforcement agencies currently have for sharing information/intelligence in respect of suspected bribery? Could these be improved?
- Are police resources and training with regard to the Bribery Act currently adequate?
Giving evidence to the Committee at 11.30am will be:
- Hannah von Dadelszen – Head of Fraud, Serious Fraud Office
- Mark Steward – Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, Financial Conduct Authority
Questions are likely to include:
- What are the respective roles of the SFO and the FCA with respect to enforcement of the Bribery Act 2010?
- Are the funding models of the SFO and the FCA capable of delivering effective enforcement of bribery in the UK and by UK companies abroad?
- How are decisions taken with regard to who is offered a Deferred Prosecution Agreement? Why, for example, was Rolls-Royce offered a DPA despite its decision not to self-report?
The evidence session will start at 10.30am in Committee Room 4 on Tuesday 23 October 2018.
