Intelligence and Security Committee

The Intelligence and Security Committee is a committee of parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the work of the Intelligence machinery of the United Kingdom. It was established by the Intelligence Services Act 1994.^[1] It is unique inasmuch as it is not a committee of Parliament, but consists of nine parliamentarians appointed by, and reporting directly to, the Prime Minister. In this capacity it has greater powers than a select committee of Parliament, being able to demand papers from former governments and official advice to ministers, both of which are forbidden to select committees.

The Prime Minister appoints the nine members, from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Serving ministers are not allowed to be members, but members may previously have held ministerial positions. Details of the most recent committee, including its final report and the government's response, are on its web page hosted by the UK Cabinet Office. The committee ceases to exist when Parliament is dissolved; after the election the Prime Minister reforms the committee.

The Committee's formal responsibilities are to examine the expenditure, administration and policies of the security and intelligence agencies as laid down in statute; the Secret Intelligence Service, the Security Service and Government Communications Headquarters. It has however extended its oversight responsibilities to include the Defence Intelligence Staff and the Joint Intelligence Committee.

The work of the committee is invariably conducted in secret, though an unclassified annual report is issued. The committee also produces reports on issues of particular concern, either on its own initiative or at the request of government ministers. From 1999 to 2004 the committee employed an Investigator, John Morrison.

In July 2008 a vote and debate on a motion to bring the committee under the administration of the Houses of Parliament rather than the Prime Minister was lost.^[2]

As of 23 November 2009, the committee members are as follows:

• Dr Kim Howells (chair)
• Ben Chapman
• George Howarth
• Dari Taylor
• The Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
• Michael Mates
• Michael Ancram
• Richard Ottaway
• Sir Menzies Campbell

Previous chairs of the committee include: Tom King (1994–2001); Ann Taylor (2001–05); Paul Murphy (2005–08) and Margaret Beckett (January–October 2008).

References

1. ^ "Section 10 - The Intelligence and Security Committee - Intelligence Services Act 1994". OPSI. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1994/ukpga_19940013_en_1#pb5-l1g10. 
2. ^ "Intelligence and Security Committee — Should belong to the House — rejected". The Public Whip. 17 July 2008. http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-07-17&number=266. 

External links

• Intelligence and Security Committee at the Cabinet Office website