The Government today published the Concluding Response (Word format 50kb) to the Export Credits Guarantee Department’s (ECGD’s) public consultation on its new anti-bribery and corruption procedures. This follows publication on 16 March of the Government’s conclusions on the major issues that had arisen in the course of the consultation.

During the consultation, which finished on 18 November, some exporters expressed concerns that disclosure of commercially confidential information could harm their business. On 16 March the Government extended the consultation until 30 April to get views on this final issue. Consultees were invited to comment on ECGD’s proposals for handling information about the identities of agents, information which will be required as part of every application, in order to minimise the risk of inadvertent disclosure of that information.

The results of the consultation are set out in the Concluding Response. The procedures for handling agents’ identities, known as the ‘Special Handling Arrangements’, will come into effect as part of ECGD’s new anti-bribery and corruption procedures on 1 July 2006. The main aspects of these arrangements are:

• If an applicant chooses to invoke the Special Handling Arrangements, only the Head or Deputy Head of ECGD’s Business Principles Unit, the relevant Business Director and the Chief Executive will be provided with the name and address of agents;
  
  
• If, after its initial inquiries, ECGD decides that further enquiries are necessary, which would involve sharing the identity of any agent with any other person, whether an official of ECGD or not, the consent of the applicant will be requested;
  
  
• If the applicant refuses to consent to this, the identity will not be shared. However, it is likely in such circumstances that ECGD would be unable to process the application further.

UK Trade Minister Ian McCartney said:

"These procedures put in place the final element of ECGD's new anti-bribery and corruption procedures, which will come into force on 1 July 2006. These new safeguards are robust enough to reduce the risk of supporting contracts tainted by corruption without becoming burdensome for ECGD's customers."

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Government’s Concluding and Final Responses to the public consultation,associated documentation and representations received, including minutes of meetings involving ECGD officials and consultees, can be found on this website.

2. ECGD, the Export Credits Guarantee Department, is the UK’s Export Credit Agency. A Government Department reporting to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, it has nearly 90 years’ experience of working closely with exporters, project sponsors, banks and buyers to help UK exporters of capital equipment and project-related goods and services. ECGD does this by providing:

• Insurance against non-payment to UK exporters;
• Help in arranging finance packages for buyers of UK goods by guaranteeing bank loans; and
• Overseas Investment Insurance - a facility that gives UK investors up to 15 years’ insurance against political risks.

3. More information about ECGD, along with other press releases, can be found on this website www.ecgd.gov.uk

PRESS ENQUIRIES:

Steve Roberts-Mee, ECGD Press Office, Tel: 020 7512 7319 (Out of Hours: 07990 887852)