National Security Communications Team

The National Security Communications Team was created in April 2018 in the Cabinet Office. 'Policy responsibility' for the team moved from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the 2019/20 year.

It is funded and overseen by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund which is directed by the National Security Council a British intelligence agency.

People

Staffing

According to David Lidington MP, as of July 2018, the NSCT consisted of 7 civil servants as well as 3 civil servants who had joined on a temporary basis.

Staff

• Derek Moir-Smith National Security Communications Team Lead, Cabinet Office · Full-time

Apr 2024 - Present

• Victoria Woodbine – Head of National Security Communications (Jun 2017 - Present (Jan 2023))
• Mikey Hoare Director of National Security Communications (Aug 2020 - present (Jan 2023))
• Henry Collis

An FoI response from the Cabinet Officer on 1 July 2020 stated:

Please see below for the names of the Senior Civil Servants responsible for the Rapid Response Unit and National Security Communications Team.

Head of Digital, No 10 and Cabinet Office - Peter Heneghan

Deputy Director, National Security Communications team - Darragh McElroy

Former staff

• Jon Hassain MBE, Overseas Vaccine Lead - National Security Communications Team, Cabinet Office, UK. Strategic Communication Consultant - Cabinet Office · Contract Nov 2020 - Apr 2021 · 6 mos London, England, United Kingdom
• Andy Burwell - Head of Stakeholder Engagement at National Security Communications Team (Mar 2019 - Apr 2020).
• Darragh McElroy - Deputy Director of National Security Communications (Feb 2019 - Aug 2020)
• Daniel Walpole – Former Head of National Security Communications at Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Office Communications (2018–2019), then Head Of Communications at Counter Terrorism Policing
• Cormac Smith – Deputy Head of Communications/Head of Planning NSCT (April 18 – Nov 18). Previously embedded in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Oct 2016 - Mar 2018).
• Andrew Pike

Resources

• CSSF Annual Review - Summary Sheet: PROGRAMME TITLE: National Security Communications Team
• https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/842737/National_Security_Communications_Team_Programme.odt
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-national-security-communications-team-programme-summary-2020-to-2021

See also

DCMS

• Counter Disinformation Cell (AKA Disinformation & Misinformation Unit) - DCMS (now Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was the lead department. Now retasked as the National Security Online Information Team

Cabinet Office

• Government Communication Service,
• Rapid Response Unit
• National Security Communications Team
• National Security Council
• Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

MoD

• 77th Brigade
• Specialist Group Military Intelligence
• Joint Information Activities Group
• Military Strategic Effects

FCO/FCDO

• Counter-Daesh Coalition Communications Cell
• Counter Disinformation and Media Development
• Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
• Government Information Cell
• Russia Unit

GCHQ

• GCHQ
• Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group
• National Cyber Security Centre

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

• National Security Online Information Team

Home Office

• Homeland Security Group
• Research, Information and Communications Unit