The Intelligence
and Security Committee's Annual Report for 2008-2009 was
laid before Parliament today by the Prime Minister.
Commenting on the Report, the Rt. Hon. Dr Kim Howells MP,
Chairman of the Committee, said:
"This report covers the period December 08 to July 09,
and was delivered to the Prime Minister on 15 December 2009. Much
of the work focuses on the essential nuts and bolts: the workings
of the Agencies in terms of finance, administration and policy.
This is central to our oversight role, and absolutely vital as we
seek to ensure that the very considerable resources given to the
Agencies are properly deployed and accounted for.
"During the period up to July 09, the Committee also
spent a considerable amount of time on two separate
investigations:
(i) On 20 May 2009 we published our updated Review of the
Intelligence on the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005 to
reflect developments since our original Report into the attacks
was published in May 2006.
(ii) Following new information coming to light in the Binyam
Mohamed case, we took further, in-depth evidence from the
intelligence and security Agencies and the FCO. We reported our
findings on a number of aspects - including the issues raised
about the policies that the UK security and intelligence Agencies
followed - and wrote to the Prime Minister on 17 March 2009 with
our recommendations.
"Work has continued in relation to the
Government's policy in this area: on 18 March 2009 the
Prime Minister wrote to the Committee inviting us to review the UK
intelligence and security Agencies current guidance regarding the
treatment and interviewing of detainees overseas. It was a matter
of great disappointment to the Committee that this guidance had
not been received by the end of July 2009, when we completed this
Annual Report, despite our repeated requests to the Cabinet
Office. We eventually received the guidance on 18 November 2009
and have taken evidence on it since then. We reported our findings
to him on Friday 5 March 2010. Publication is a matter for the
Prime Minister, but we have been assured by him that this will
take place in good time before the debate in the House of Commons
on this Report, scheduled for 18 March.
"We also sent our Annual Report for 2009-10 to the
Prime Minister on Friday 5 March 2010. This is a shorter report,
given the duration of the Parliamentary year, however it covers
some fundamental issues. In addition to information on the
finance, administration and policy of the Agencies it also
includes details of essential changes which the Committee has
requested that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary make
in order to safeguard the independence of this Committee (which
include the separation of our administration and finance from the
Cabinet Office). We have been assured by the Prime Minister that
this Report will also be published in good time before the debate
next week.
"Returning to the matters covered
in this report, it details the continuing range of evolving
threats to the UK - both terrorist and from a range of other
sources. While the primary focus is necessarily on International
Counter-terrorism (ICT) work, the attacks in Northern Ireland in
March 2009 showed that the threat from dissident Republicans
remains very real.
"The UK's intelligence and Security Agencies
are also dedicating resources towards countering the threat posed
by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional
instability, espionage and other challenges. In addition, they
continue to provide unprecedented operational support to UK
military operations.
"The threat from espionage remains high - several
countries are actively seeking UK information and material to
advance their own military, technological, political and economic
programmes. This report covers the work that the Agencies are
doing to counter these evolving threats. Electronic attack is an
example of an important area which the Committee recommended
should be given higher priority, and which we are glad to see is
now being given greater resources (since we concluded our Report).
"This Report also comments on cross-cutting issues, and
on the other departments and organisations that make up the
intelligence community: the Government's
counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) and the work of the Office
for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office; the
intelligence structure in the Cabinet Office (including the Joint
Intelligence Committee and the Assessments Staff); and other
Agencies within the community such as the Defence Intelligence
Staff, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the Centre for the
Protection of National Infrastructure.
"It is a matter of some disappointment to the Committee
that the Prime Minister is publishing this Report eight months
after the Reporting period concluded, and that it is now therefore
considerably out of date. We hope however that our next two
Reports - which cover issues of considerable public interest and
were sent to the Prime Minister on Friday 5 March 2010 - will be
published quickly, and that the Government will undertake not to
allow such a significant delay to occur in the future.
"We also hope that, given the seriousness of the issues
that both Reports cover, the Government will give proper
consideration to our Recommendations and Conclusions and accept
the changes we have proposed rather than seek to provide excuses
for maintaining the status quo."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) was established
by the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to examine the policy,
administration and expenditure of the Security Service, Secret
Intelligence Service (SIS) and Government Communications
Headquarters (GCHQ). The Committee also examines the work of the
Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the Assessments Staff and the
Intelligence and Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, and
the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) in the Ministry of Defence.
2. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is a cross-party
Committee made up of 9 Parliamentarians, however it is not a
Parliamentary Committee. The Prime Minister appoints ISC Members
after considering nominations from Parliament and consulting with
the leaders of the two main opposition parties. The Committee
meets in private and does not discuss its work, apart from through
the publication of its Reports.
3. For reasons of national security it reports to the Prime
Minister, and all Committee reports are published by the Prime
Minister. The Annual Report may contain some redactions, where the
Committee has agreed, after careful consideration, that
publication of the material would harm national security.
4. The ISC is hosted by the Cabinet Office, however this is for
administrative purposes only. Given that the role of the Cabinet
Office in security and intelligence matters has grown
considerably, and the Committee oversees this work, the Committee
has requested a change in host department in order to ensure that
there is clear separation and to safeguard its independence.
5. The Committee's membership is as follows:
Rt. Hon. Dr Kim Howells MP (Chairman)
Rt. Hon. Michael
Ancram QC DL MP Rt. Hon. Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP
Mr Ben
Chapman MP Rt. Hon. Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
Rt. Hon. George
Howarth MP Rt. Hon. Michael Mates MP
Mr Richard Ottaway MP Ms
Dari Taylor MP
6. Copies of the Committee's Annual Report 2008-09
(Cm7807) can be purchased from TSO for £14.35. The Report can also
be found on the ISC's website: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/intelligence
Contacts:
Cabinet Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7276 1273
Fax: 020
7276 0618
NDS.cabinetoffice@coi.gsi.gov.uk