Following the dropping of the corruption inquiry into a BAE arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Mark Pietch of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) said the organisation would seek an explanation from the government about the decision.
Prof Pietch, who heads the bribery working group at the OECD said: "Obviously we want to know from the UK what exactly happened and I don't want to jump to a conclusion at the moment."

Lord Goldsmith told the BBC: "If you are faced with the reality of the situation that there's going to be massive damage - not to jobs - but to national security, our counter-terrorism capabilities, vital interests and against that you have the prospect of a case which is going to go nowhere, then I think the answer is you have to be realistic and bite the bullet."

Former minister for defence procurement, Lord Gilbert said: "It's a very very difficult area, one man's bribe is another man's commission payment. You get this sort of ambiguity in the world of commerce very frequently."

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade believes the government has contravened the OECD convention against bribery and intends to seek a judicial review. The Campaign's Spokesman Simon Hill, said: "We think we have a case because we think the government has broken the law.

Today the Guardian claims that Lord Goldsmith covered up payments from BAE Systems to ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

An investigation by the BBC's Panorama programme will be broadcast on Monday 11 June on BBC One at 2030 BST

q.  Was the Serious Fraud Office right to drop the corruption inquiry into the BAE arms deal with Saudi Arabia?

The House of Commons is to debate the Government’s proposed Mental Health Bill over the next two days. The Bill, if passed, will see people with violent personality disorders held in confinement without having committed a crime. The governments attempt to change the Mental Health Laws follows the conviction of Michael Stone in 1998 for the murders of Lin and Megan Russell. Prior to the murders it was thought that Stone, a diagnosed psychopath, could not be held in confinement as his condition was untreatable. It was later realised that Stone was indeed receiving treatment, but this treatment was not administered fully.

Community Treatment Orders were to allow patients to be forced to take medicine, or placed in detention if required.  After the Bill was previously defeated in the House of Lords, the Government has been required to make concessions and give doctors tight rules on how the orders are implemented.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "They (the Government) want to force the argument in the direction they want to go. Compulsion is not the only route to treatment. Thousands of patients will access services without compulsion."

Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb Mr Lamb said: "We want to see core principles set out on the face of this bill. Those facing compulsion should have a right to an independent mental health advocate and they should be made aware of that right."

Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: "Every barrier that is put in the way of getting treatment to people with serious mental health problems puts both patients and the public at risk. We believe that this bill strikes the right balance between getting treatment to those who need it, putting in place patient safeguards and minimising the risk to the public."

q.  Should people diagnosed as having violent personality disorders, but have not committed any crime, be held in confinement?

Bertie Ahern the Irish premier has promised his country a referendum on the new EU Treaty.  Mr Ahern believes that the Treaty contains 90% of the original constitution, and that signing up to the Treaty should be the peoples decision.

In the last election campaign Tony Blair said: “We don’t know what is going to happen in France, but we will have a referendum on the Constitution in any event — and that is a Government promise.”

Now Mr Blair is saying: “There was no tradition of holding votes on treaties. If it's not a constitutional treaty, so that it alters the basic relationship between Europe and the member states, then there isn't the same case for a referendum."

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "What he (Mr Blair) is saying now sounds suspiciously like an attempt to introduce elements of it (EU Constitution) by the back door, despite its decisive rejection by the voters of France and Holland. This would go against the government's previous assurances and be totally unacceptable to the people of Britain."

q.  Should we have a national referendum on the EU Treaty?