Intelligence and Security Committee

Intelligence and Security Committee
Logo	Kevan Jones, later Lord Beamish, Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Type	Parliamentary intelligence-oversight committee
Founded	1994, under the Intelligence Services Act
Status	Committee of Parliament; nine members on the roster checked in November 2026
Area served	United Kingdom
Services	Scrutiny of intelligence policy, expenditure, administration and operations
Key people	Kevan Jones (Lord Beamish) — Chair; Jeremy Wright — Deputy Chair
Website	Official website
Remarks	Members appointed by Parliament after Prime Ministerial nomination and opposition consultation; Chair elected by members

The Intelligence and Security Committee was established under the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to oversee the three main British intelligence agencies, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. It expanded its remit to include intelligence related elements of the Cabinet Office including the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC); the Assessments Staff; and the Intelligence, Security and Resilience Group. The Committee also takes evidence from the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS).

As described on the Committee’s official page checked in November 2026: The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) examines the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the Agencies and Departments which form the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC):

• MI5 (the Security Service);
• MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service);
• GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters);
• Defence Intelligence in the Ministry of Defence;
• the National Cyber Force (NCF);
• the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) in the Cabinet Office;
• the National Security Secretariat (NSS) in the Cabinet Office; and
• Homeland Security Group in the Home Office.

People

Committee Members

The Committee’s official membership page, checked on 6 November 2026, lists the following nine members. The same roster appears in its press notice of 26 February 2026:

• Lord Beamish — Chair
• Sir Jeremy Wright — Deputy Chair
• Baroness Brown of Cambridge
• Peter Dowd
• Richard Foord
• Sir John Hayes
• Jessica Morden
• Derek Twigg
• Lord West of Spithead

Members are appointed by Parliament after nomination by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition; the Chair is elected by Committee members.

Marco Rubio meets British MPs, including then Intelligence and Security Committee Chair Malcolm Rifkind, during a visit to London.

Historical membership entries

These entries appeared in the earlier profile and do not form one contemporaneous roster. The Archer entry cites a November 2005 lawyers’ statement rather than a membership register; it is retained as an earlier attribution, not confirmation of Committee membership.

• Rt. Hon. Dr. Kim Howells MP (Chair).

• Rt. Hon. Michael Ancram QC MP.

• Rt. Hon. Sir Menzies Campbell CBE 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.

• Rt. Hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell, QC (Peter Archer)

External Resources

• Richard Norton-Taylor, Security and intelligence agencies to give evidence in public for first time, guardian.co.uk, 21 June 2011.