Corruption (Hansard, 27 October 1997)

§ 35. Mr. Ivan Lewis
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government plans to create a single offence of corruption. [11691]

§ Mr. Michael
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published on 9 June a statement on reform of the corruption statutes for consultation. A copy is available in the Library. The Law Commission will also be producing proposals for reform of the law in this area.
My right hon. Friend will consider carefully the results of these exercises, together with any further recommendations the Nolan committee may make in relation to the criminal law.
My right hon. Friend expects to make a further statement on the reform of the law in this area early next year.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation is currently being740W discussed at the European Union level for the standardisation of member states' legislation pertaining to the combating of corruption by officials; and if he will make a statement. [12315]

§ Mr. Michael
In September 1996, European Union member states adopted a protocol to the 1995 Convention on the Protection of the Financial Interests of the European Communities. The protocol requires all member states to establish a certain minimum level of protection against damage to the Communities' budget by reason of corruption which makes similar provision in the case of corruption of or by national or Community officials. In May 1997, the member states adopted a separate convention on corruption of or by national or Community officials which is not linked to damage to the Communities' budget. These instruments do not cover the corruption of officials from third countries, but member states have, in recent weeks, adopted two common positions under title VI of the treaty on European Union supporting on-going negotiations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Council of Europe on conventions which address this aspect.
The Government strongly support measures to penalise corruption, whether by or of national or Community officials or in the private sector. To that end, they intend to take forward next year, during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Union, recommendation 6 of the European Union action plan on combating organised crime, which was endorsed by the Amsterdam European Council. This requires the development of a comprehensive Union policy on corruption covering first and third pillar measures and applying to public sector officials and to the private sector.