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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 2 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 January 2026. It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Monday, 12 January 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Bribery

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections for whistle blowers reporting concerns on foreign bribery.

Answer

Individuals can report foreign bribery through a range of channels, such as the Serious Fraud Office or National Crime Agency, and workers will be protected from retaliation as a whistleblower under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) if certain conditions are met.

The government recognises that the whistleblowing framework in the ERA may not be operating as effectively as it should and recently committed to explore opportunities for reform in the UK Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025.

The government will continue to review its approach to whistleblowing and foreign bribery in line with the recommendations of the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
102688
Session
2024-26
Related items
Subjects
Disclosure of information International cooperation Bribery
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk