The Babraham Institute
Bribery Act 2010 Public Statement

Summary of the Act

The Bribery Act 2010, in force from 1st July 2011, aims to tackle bribery and corruption in both the private and public sectors.  The Babraham Institute, a registered charity, welcomes the Act and the Board of Trustees is committed to ensuring that the Charity’s business is conducted in an open, honest and professional manner and is compliant with the Act. This is vital for the Institute’s good reputation as integrity is the cornerstone of ethical and excellent scientific research.  The Institute will not tolerate any acts of bribery or corruption and any cases brought to its attention will be investigated thoroughly and dealt with appropriately according to our disciplinary procedures - and reported to the authorities if appropriate.

One of the six principles of the Act demands that there is top level commitment in the organisation to the prevention of bribery. To this end, the Institute’s whistleblowing policy identifies members of the senior executive and a lead Trustee who have special responsibility for overseeing the Institute’s policy and receiving any allegations of wrongdoing.  The two principal individuals are the Company Secretary, and Mr Anthony Clare (Lawyer, and Trustee).

As a charity significantly funded by public sector grants, the Institute follows not only good charitable governance and practice but also public sector accountability procedures.  There are robust controls in place to prevent bribery.  However, the Institute is not complacent and it is important that all employees comply with Institute policies and procedures, particularly with regard to procurement, fraud and also the strict limitations and controls on hospitality, sponsorship and gifts. These policies are available to staff via the Institute’s intranet and all employees, students and working visitors are expected to make themselves aware of the standards expected at Babraham.  The policies are also applicable to Trustees and those working on behalf of the Institute, for example professional advisors.  It is the responsibility of the employee engaging the agent or advisor to ensure that they are aware of our policies. The Institute will not work with organizations or individuals which will not share our commitment to preventing bribery and corruption.

Professor Michael Wakelam, Institute Director and Chief Executive
Professor William Cushley, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Click here for a summary of the Act’s provisions (pdf)