Thursday, 13 Jul 2006 16:07 The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called on the government to act against western companies offering bribes in the developing world.

Associate director David Mepham praised today's white paper for focusing on bad governance, when last year's Make Poverty History coalition had "said almost nothing about the problem".

"More accountable and effective states, and a strengthening of the rights of poor people, are absolutely essential if there is to be faster progress in reducing global poverty," he said.

However, he argued the British government must prevent the behaviour that reinforced bad governance.

"That means following through on the white paper’s pledges to act against western companies that offer bribes in the developing world, preventing stolen assets from being invested in UK banks or laundered through the UK financial system, tighter controls over small arms transfers and action on climate change," Mr Mepham said.