Practices warned over dangers of Bribery Act

Industry sources have warned optical practices must be careful of receiving or giving excessive hospitality when the Bribery Act comes into force.

Accountant Marc Bennett, of AEL Partners, said the test of the new act, which will come into effect on July 1, 2011, 'will be whether the courts can establish that defendants had established and communicated to all staff a clear anti-bribery framework to prevent bribery taking place'.

Bennett said he envisaged practitioners who were offered reasonable and proportionate hospitality would not be party to an offence, especially if there was an educational element attached to attending a trade exhibition or product launch, and the entertainment was incidental.