---

Zimbabwe

With the hon. Gentleman's support, I am damned sure that the Bill will go through. I believe it will make a real difference. In 2001, the law on bribery in the UK was changed to make explicit for the first time that transnational bribes made by British citizens or companies were contrary to law. That meant that the UK complied with the requirements of the OECD convention on bribery. However, it was not an effective law in terms of bringing cases before the courts. A few cases have been brought recently by the Serious Fraud Office, with convictions being secured through the courts or civil penalties being paid by companies in breach of the law. If the Bribery Bill becomes law, it will significantly strengthen the powers of the Government and help to prevent bad apples from the UK fuelling corruption abroad.