My Lords, I would not agree with the formulation that the noble Lord gave in his first question. The decision to discontinue the investigation has been based on an assessment of the case as a whole, including from my point of view the evidence and the likelihood of a prosecution and the law, coupled with a consideration of what I have no doubt are legitimate public interest considerations in proceeding with an uncertain investigation. This is not at all an easy issue for the SFO or for anybody, for just the reasons that all noble Lords have raised.

As to the noble Lord's second question, I do not agree that the decision gives a green light in any sense. The decision sets no precedent of any kind. The Government's commitment to tackling international corruption is reflected not only in the new law introduced in the 2001 Act but in the steps that have been taken to increase the capacity to deal with international corruption in different ways. As for prosecutors—the SFO or any other prosecutor concerned with the matter—I will consider any such cases robustly and independently, on the basis of the evidence and the public interest.