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Bribery Bill [HL]

The Minister talked about there being a mechanism in the Bill that would prevent there being a criminal offence. I would like him to go away and think of this, if he would be so good: there are two people in the dock; one of them is a police officer who has paid money to the other person in the dock. When it comes to trial, the police officer produces his defence that he was exercising a proper purpose and is acquitted. The second person does not have that defence. I am sure that the Minister would agree that the second man would not automatically become not guilty simply because the police officer had succeeded in proving his personal defence. The existence of bribery therefore continues and the second man is convicted. That is why I want the Minister and his team to think about this.