Leaked document appears to limit the act’s scope

The Ministry of Justice is considering exempting foreign companies listed on the London stock market but with no other presence in the UK from the Bribery Act, according to a leaked document.

The draft guidance, seen by the Guardian, suggests the government is trying to tightly define the scope of an otherwise wide-ranging act.

Clarifications of the act – which could be published as early as next week – will be closely scrutinized by construction firms that fear the stringent law could impact on their work abroad.