Live Attorney General Questions House of Commons

needs to be done and can I can enter

constructive tone which is so much

more usable?

Demand exceeds supply,

question to the Attorney General,

Sir Henry Bellingham. Number one.

The Attorney General. In the bribery

act of 2010 the UK introduced world

leading legislation on bribery

making it a criminal offence for a

company to fail to prevent a bribe

being paid. We are starting to see

the effectiveness of this offensive

holding large companies to account

through the first conviction of a

corporate entity and three deferred

prosecution agreement.

Sir Henry

Allingham.

Would he agree corruption

is embedded in the building culture

of many countries and it's always

the poor to supper, this is being

encouraged by a number of major

trading countries who have not

followed our lead. What is he doing

in the OECD to make sure other

countries, in line with the UK?

I

agree with my honourable friend,

it's the poor is to suffer most when

corruption occurs, around the world.

It is important the UK plays a

leadership role and we do the not

least by setting an example and

we've done that by the bribery act

and what has flowed from that but I

would pay tribute to him in his role

as a very distinguished Foreign

Office Minister. He was also able to

do some of this work and the work

must continue.

Jim Shannon. Mr

Speaker, can the Attorney General

further believe his department could

provide more clarification on

foreign public officials,

hospitality payments, self

reporting, sentencing and fines,

adequate besiegers and relevant

commercial organisations and how

does the Attorney General believe

this can be done?

The honourable

gentleman is right clarity is

important and of course the bribery

act and prosecutions that flow from

it are not all that matters here.

What we need to do is change

corporate culture and that I think

is how then, it's important that

corporations understand their

responsibilities and he's right, if

they are to do that they need to be

clear about what they can and cannot

do so we will always seek to give

greater clarity but it depends on

the circumstances.

Do we have enough specialist

expertise to enforce the bribery act

properly?

I believe we do and of

course for some of the most

substantial cases under the bribery

act, it is the Serious Fraud Office

but prosecutes and investigates and

there's a good deal of expertise

there and he will recognise that in

relation to not just convictions but

referred prosecution as well, we are

presenting good cases and winning

prosecutions.

SGM is a crime, it is

abuse -- FGM is a crime, it is abuse

against children and women. There is

now a lead FGM prosecutor in each

area and training is being given to

prosecutors across the country.

I

very much welcomed the announcement

this week of extra funding to tackle

FGM in Africa and beyond. Does my

honourable friend share my concern

that in this country with over 5000

cases being reported every year, we

are still to bring a successful

prosecution.

My honourable friend is

quite right to raise the obstacles

which have faced prosecutors over

the years. There have been barriers

which have caused real issues as to

the investigation of these cases. I

am glad to say there is an ongoing

case currently before the courts

which I won't comment about but it's

also important to remind that

protection is vital and our FGM

orders are being used to good

effect.

Bristol is recognised as

being at the forefront of some of

the community involvement in trying

to prevent FGM but I think this is a

sticking point, the fact we still

have not yet had a single

conviction. What more can he do to

liaise with the police, because a

prosecutor and services locally are

telling me it's the fact the police

are not bringing cases to them that

prevents them from taking things

further?

The honourable lady is

right to press me on these issues.

I'm glad to say that with the

appointment of lead FGM prosecutors

in each CPS area and agreed

protocols were local police

authorities, they should be a

greater understanding for police

officers in particular as to the

tell-tale signs FGM abuse and what

to do about them, to get early

investigative advice from the CPS is

vital in these cases.

The Solicitor

General is right to identify

specific issues that need to be

tackled on FGM. If we are to

increase prosecution rates right

across the range of offences, surely

we need a properly resourced and

robust disclosure system. The former

Conservative politician and

barrister Jerry Hayes said this, the

CPS are under terrible pressure, as

are the police. Both work hard but

are badly under resourced.

He is

right, isn't he? Well, the

honourable gentleman will know that

for over 20 years I was directly

involved in the prosecution and

defending of serious criminal cases

and I am well familiar with the

challenge of disclosure that has

been of long standing. I am glad to

say that prior to recent

revelations, both the Attorney

General and I have instituted a

thorough review not just about

guidelines but of the entire

culture. Police, prosecutors,

everybody involved at all stages

must realise that disclosure must be

achieved early in an effective way,

not just to protect defendants but

also victims.

I appreciate that

there is a review and that there are

long-standing issues, but there is

no doubt either that social media,

things like WhatsApp, examination of

mobile telephones prevent new

challenges -- present new challenges

which are time and resource

intensive and surely it's time we

had proper resources on those things

and then we wouldn't have the system

of disclosure we have.

Can I remind

the honourable gentleman that one of

the main issues in this area has not

been that these items have not been

obtained, it's the timeliness with

which they are eventually exposed.

That is the issue and I think

bearing down on that fact that will

encourage and increase police

awareness and the priority that the

police need to place upon making

sure that all of this material is

gathered at the earliest

opportunity.

Mr Speaker, with

permission, I will answer this

question along with question seven.

The European arrest warrant offers a

more effective means than none

European alternatives at ensuring

those who have fled the UK are

returned to face justice. The Green

continued extradition arrangements

will therefore be an important part

-- the Green continued extradition

arrangements will therefore be an

important part of negotiations and

of mutual interest.

Thank you for

that response. Do you agree with the

Director of Public Prosecutions that

the European arrest warrant is

absolutely vital to ensuring quick

effective cross-border crime and

justice measures and will the

Government commit to remain in the

European arrest warrant?

Well, I

certainly agree that it is the most

efficient means we have available to

both bring people back to the UK and

then foreign criminals and you'd

base does this. -- to face justice.

Precisely how we do that in future

will depend negotiations which he

knows are ongoing.

Why those

arrangements have to do is go along

with the jurisdiction of the ECJ. I

suppose the question is what is more

important, the heavy line on the ECJ

or being able to effectively tackle

crime? Does he agree with the report

that states that the safety of the

people of the UK should be the

governor Boult overriding

consideration?

I agree with the last

part of his question, but I don't

think... That's what we think to do

and we believe that is in the mutual

interest not just of the UK but of

the EU as well and that's why we are

confident we can negotiate.

Does my

right honourable friend agree with

me that the European arrest warrant

is just as important to our European

friends and partners as it is to us.

I do agree with my honourable friend

and he might like to know that as

far as statistics go, since 2010,

under the European arrest warrant,

1079 people have been surrendered

back to the United Kingdom, but 8826

surrendered from the UK to the rest

of the European Union, so this is an

advantageous arrangement for both

sides.

Since 20 10,000 of criminals

have been removed from the United

Kingdom to face trial abroad thanks

to the European arrest warrant so

does the Minister agree that such

agreements are an integral part of

our justice system here in the

United Kingdom?

I thank my noble

friend and it is important that we

negotiate a settlement that will

enable us to carry on sending people

back but also just as importantly to

bring people back from other

European nations so they can face

justice here. As I say, I am

optimistic we can do that.

We are having problems enforcing EA

ee request even before we leave the

European Union. What responses there

for that?

The case the honourable

gentleman refers to is it concluded

yet so I will say nothing about

specifically but the point he makes

is that we need to to ensure there

is continuity of these arrangements

when we depart the European Union.

That is exactly what we seek to

negotiate. This is something that

will benefit both us and the rest of

Europe, this is two-way traffic and

it's important to everyone that we

negotiate continuing arrangements.

With your permission I will answer

this question alongside question

eight. These types of crime are

often committed over county lines

and evolve the exploitation of

people by violent members of drug

networks and gangs in order to move

drugs and sell them across the

country. The CPS has recently

published guidance that sets out

there advice on this type of crime.

Many more people, particularly

although not exclusive vulnerable

young women, are trafficked for

prosecution. What steps are being

taken within the justice process to

give them support and help them

except this abusive trade?

I am

grateful to my honourable friend. In

the new guidance, the CPS has

emphasised how important it is to

safeguard vulnerable people and we

have places like the UK human

trafficking Centre which is a

central point of contact for all

agencies that work with victims of

sex trafficking, or example where

rape victim is cooperating with an

investigation, making sure that if

you are -- they are a foreign

national in the UK, that their

status is preserved for the full

investigation.

My honourable friend

is right about going across county

lines. Wales I think that many

vulnerable people, I still think

they may be prosecuted too much and

their vulnerability is not taken

into consideration enough when the

cases are being looked at.

My

honourable friend will be aware that

in the modern state act, there are

provisions for those compelled into

criminality and choices have to be

made whether to treat them as

defendants or whether whereas

appropriate to encourage them to

cooperate because many of these

people are frankly victims.

The LCA

just showed their invisible people

exhibition in Belfast and it shows

the harrowing portrayal of what

people go through exploited the

prostitution, drugs or forced

Labour.

Are we winning the battle?

The honourable gentleman graphically

illustrates the fact that this

particular fact of life is in every

town and city across our country.

The idea that slavery ended many

centuries ago is a fallacy and once

we face up to that, and I think the

police and the prosecution are

facing up to it, then we are halfway

to dealing with this scourge. But

more needs to be done.

Although many older people do not

consider themselves to be

vulnerable, they can often be

perceived as an easy target for

criminals and to address this the

CPS has committed to updating its

statement on crimes is an older

people within the next year.

We all

have a elderly relatives or friends

who are the victims of telephone

scams, a particularly horrible crime

where people pretend to be banks and

causes incredible distress. Can we

have real action on this and real

resources committed?

My honourable

friend is absolutely right to raise

this issue and I would commend

financial institutions like

nationwide that are already creating

specialist much more secure phone

lines for older people, particularly

carers for people who are unwell, to

conduct their financial

transactions. It's an excellent

example of how the financial

services sector can actually dried

out and design out this type of

fraud.

Mr Speaker, later this month,

the Crown Prosecution Service will

host an international summit will

prosecutors from 21 countries around

the world. It's unambitious summit

which aims to identify ways to

better support witnesses in

establishing a strong active

international network to tackle more

actively the crime of modern

slavery.

Does he agree with me that

modern slavery and human trafficking

are indeed international problems

that require the collaboration of

the Crown Prosecution Service to

similar judicially systems from many

countries in order to address them.

I thank my honourable friend and

it's important that we work with

partners around the world. The CPS

have 30 prosecutors located in other

countries and of course we agreed

last year at the United Nations to

double hour spent overseas in

combating modern slavery.

Would he

welcomed the work of the UK branch

of the Commonwealth Parliamentary

Association and support to the Home

Office in dealing with this issue in

particular and witty give support to

the eight particular countries being

dealt with from his office?

I do

welcome mat and there is a lot we

could do in this institution to back

up the fight against modern slavery

and of course to focus on where the

majority of those who are trafficked

tend to come from. Of course it

isn't just those eight countries as

he will recognise. Those identified

as victims of modern slavery are

raving in this country came last

year from some 108 different

countries but he is right, there are

particular countries to focus on.

How much money has the UK Government

committed to tackling slavery around

the world?

Last year at the UN

General Assembly the UK Government

agreed it would spend £150 million

overseas in combating modern

slavery, that is in addition to

substantial sums already committed

within our domestic budget to do

with the problem.

I have to notify

the house in accordance with the

Royal assent act. Telecommunications

infrastructure relief from

nondomestic