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| + | {{short description|'''Statutory parliamentary committee overseeing the United Kingdom’s intelligence and security community'''}} | ||
{{Infobox organization | {{Infobox organization | ||
| − | | name = Intelligence and Security Committee | + | | name = [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] |
| image = Official portrait of Mr Kevan Jones crop 2 - Powerbase.jpg | | image = Official portrait of Mr Kevan Jones crop 2 - Powerbase.jpg | ||
| image_size = 250px | | image_size = 250px | ||
| caption = Kevan Jones, later Lord Beamish, Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. | | caption = Kevan Jones, later Lord Beamish, Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. | ||
| + | | type = Parliamentary intelligence-oversight committee | ||
| + | |||
| + | | founded = {{Start date|1994}}, under the Intelligence Services Act<ref name="infobox2026_origin">[http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/intelligence.aspx Intelligence and Security Committee], Cabinet Office, accessed 28 February 2010.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | | status = Committee of [[UK Parliament|Parliament]]; nine members on the roster checked in November 2026<ref name="infobox2026_membership">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, [https://isc.independent.gov.uk/committee-membership/ Committee Membership] (undated), accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).</ref> | ||
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| + | | area_served = United Kingdom | ||
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| + | | services = Scrutiny of intelligence policy, expenditure, administration and operations<ref name="infobox2026_remit">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, "[https://isc.independent.gov.uk/how-the-committee-works/ How the Committee works]", undated, accessed 6 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | | key_people = [[Kevan Jones]] ([[Kevan Jones|Lord Beamish]]) — Chair; [[Jeremy Wright]] — Deputy Chair<ref name="infobox2026_membership"/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | | location = United Kingdom | ||
| + | | registration = Established by the Intelligence Services Act 1994; reconstituted under the Justice and Security Act 2013 | ||
| + | | website = [https://isc.independent.gov.uk/ Official website] | ||
| + | | remarks = Members appointed by Parliament after Prime Ministerial nomination and opposition consultation; Chair elected by members<ref name="infobox2026_membership"/> | ||
| + | |||
}} | }} | ||
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| − | + | The '''Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament''' (ISC) was established under the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to oversee the three main British intelligence agencies, [[Security Service|MI5]], [[Secret Intelligence Service|MI6]] and [[Government Communications Headquarters|GCHQ]]. It expanded its remit to include intelligence related elements of the [[Cabinet Office]] including the [[Joint Intelligence Committee]] ([[Joint Intelligence Committee|JIC]]); the [[Assessments Staff]]; and the [[Intelligence, Security and Resilience Group]]. The Committee also takes evidence from the [[Defence Intelligence|Defence Intelligence Staff]] (DIS).<ref name="infobox2026_origin"/> | |
| − | The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) | ||
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| − | + | As described on the Committee’s official page checked in November 2026: | |
| − | + | The [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] of Parliament ([[Intelligence and Security Committee|ISC]]) examines the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the Agencies and Departments which form the [[UK Intelligence Community]] (UKIC): | |
| − | + | {| class="wikitable" | |
| − | + | |+ Bodies within the Committee’s published remit | |
| − | + | ! Entry | |
| − | + | |- | |
| − | + | | [[Security Service|MI5]] (the [[Security Service]]); | |
| − | + | |- | |
| − | + | | [[Secret Intelligence Service|MI6]] (the [[Secret Intelligence Service]]); | |
| − | + | |- | |
| − | + | | [[Government Communications Headquarters|GCHQ]] ([[Government Communications Headquarters]]); | |
| − | + | |- | |
| + | | [[Defence Intelligence]] in the [[Ministry of Defence]]; | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | the [[National Cyber Force]] (NCF); | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | the [[Joint Intelligence Organisation]] ([[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]].<ref name="merged_803dc05af0">[https://isc.independent.gov.uk/how-the-committee-works/ How the Committee works], accessed 6 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | Members are appointed by | + | == History and statutory powers == |
| + | === The 1994 settlement === | ||
| + | The Intelligence Services Act 1994 provided for a nine-member committee drawn from the [[House of Commons]] and [[House of Lords]], excluding serving ministers. The Prime Minister appointed the members and chair after consulting the Leader of the Opposition. Its statutory remit covered expenditure, administration and policy, and its annual reports were made to the Prime Minister, who laid redacted copies before [[UK Parliament|Parliament]].<ref name="p11ISA1994">UK Parliament, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/13/section/10/enacted Intelligence Services Act 1994, section 10 (as enacted)], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Richard J. Aldrich]] describes the original [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] as weaker than an ordinary parliamentary select committee and accountable to the Prime Minister rather than Parliament. He argues that creating a specialist oversight body also enabled government to resist intelligence inquiries by the [[Defence Select Committee]] and [[Foreign Affairs Committee]].<ref name="p11Aldrich">Richard J. Aldrich, ''GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence Agency'', William Collins, revised ebook edition, 2019, chapter 23, “From Cold War to Hot Peace – The Gulf War and Bosnia”.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Justice and Security Act 2013 === | ||
| + | The Justice and Security Act 2013 re-established the body as the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] ''of [[UK Parliament|Parliament]]''. Members are appointed by their respective Houses, but only after nomination by the Prime Minister following consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Members elect their own chair; ministers remain ineligible. Membership normally ends at dissolution, and former members may be reappointed.<ref name="p11JSA1">UK Parliament, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/18/section/1 Justice and Security Act 2013, section 1], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11JSASchedule">UK Parliament, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/18/schedule/1 Justice and Security Act 2013, Schedule 1], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Section 2 expressly adds operations to the statutory remit and permits scrutiny of other government intelligence and security activities identified in a published memorandum of understanding. The power is not an unrestricted right to supervise live operations. A particular operational matter may be considered where the Committee and Prime Minister agree that it is not ongoing and is of significant national interest, where the Prime Minister requests examination, or to the extent that information is provided voluntarily.<ref name="p11JSA2">UK Parliament, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/18/section/2 Justice and Security Act 2013, section 2], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Under Schedule 1, information requested within the statutory arrangements must be supplied or withheld on a decision of the Secretary of State. The grounds include defined sensitive information whose disclosure would be contrary to national security and other grounds on which a minister could properly refuse disclosure to a departmental select committee. The Committee can take evidence on oath and has a quorum of three.<ref name="p11JSASchedule" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Committee now reports directly to [[Parliament]], but must send reports to the Prime Minister before publication and exclude material which the Prime Minister, after consultation, considers prejudicial to the functions of the bodies concerned. It can also send confidential reports to the Prime Minister. This statutory publication mechanism remains distinct from ordinary select-committee practice.<ref name="p11JSA3">UK Parliament, [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/18/section/3 Justice and Security Act 2013, section 3], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Membership by Parliament == | ||
| + | The [[Intelligence and Security Committee]]’s official membership archive lists the following membership across successive Parliaments. The first row covers service from the Committee’s creation in 1994 within the 1992–97 [[UK Parliament|Parliament]], not a committee existing in 1992. Parliamentary periods do not imply uninterrupted service between elections: the 2019–24 Committee was not constituted until July 2020; the next Committee was appointed on 16 December 2024 and elected its chair on 18 December.<ref name="p11ISCMembership">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, [https://isc.independent.gov.uk/committee-membership/ Committee Membership], accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11IFG2026">Catherine Haddon and Hannah White, [https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/intelligence-security-committee The Intelligence and Security Committee], ''Institute for Government'', updated 9 February 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11ISC2025">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ''Annual Report 2023–2025'', HC 1544, 15 December 2025, paragraphs 4–18, 74 and 77–103, and footnotes 40–41.</ref> | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Members and chairs since 1994 | ||
| + | ! Parliament / period !! Chair or successive chairs !! Other members, including replacements | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 1994–1997 || [[Tom King]] || [[Peter Blaker]] (from April 1996)<br>[[Geoffrey Howe]] (until March 1996)<br>[[Alan Beith]]<br>[[John Gilbert]]<br>[[Archibald Hamilton]]<br>[[Barry Jones (born 1938)|Barry Jones]]<br>[[Michael Mates]]<br>[[Allan Rogers]]<br>[[Giles Shaw]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 1997–2001 || [[Tom King]] || [[Peter Archer]]<br>[[Alan Beith]]<br>[[Yvette Cooper]] (until October 1999)<br>[[Barry Jones (born 1938)|Barry Jones]]<br>[[Kevin Barron]]<br>[[Dale Campbell-Savours]]<br>[[Michael Mates]]<br>[[Allan Rogers]]<br>[[Rosie Winterton]] (from January 2000) | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2001–2005 || [[Ann Taylor]] || [[Peter Archer]]<br>[[James Arbuthnot]]<br>[[Kevin Barron]]<br>[[Alan Beith]]<br>[[Alan Howarth]]<br>[[Michael Mates]]<br>[[Joyce Quin]]<br>[[Gavin Strang]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2005–2010 || [[Paul Murphy]] (until January 2008)<br>[[Margaret Beckett]] (January–October 2008)<br>[[Kim Howells|Rt Hon Dr Kim Howells MP]] (from October 2008) || [[Michael Ancram|Rt Hon Michael Ancram QC MP]] (from January 2006)<br>[[James Arbuthnot]] (until January 2006)<br>[[Alan Beith]] (until October 2008)<br>[[Menzies Campbell|Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP]] (from October 2008)<br>[[Ben Chapman|Mr Ben Chapman MP]]<br>[[George Foulkes|Rt Hon Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]] (from February 2007)<br>[[George Howarth|Rt Hon George Howarth MP]]<br>[[Michael Mates|Rt Hon Michael Mates MP]]<br>[[Richard Ottaway|Mr Richard Ottaway MP]]<br>[[Margaret 'Meta' Ramsay|Meta Ramsay]] (until February 2007)<br>[[Dari Taylor|Ms Dari Taylor MP]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2010–2015 || [[Malcolm Rifkind]] (until February 2015)<ref name="p11RifkindResignation" /> || [[Hazel Blears]]<br>[[Robin Butler]]<br>[[Menzies Campbell]]<br>[[Paul Goggins]] (until January 2014)<br>[[Fiona Mactaggart]] (from May 2014)<br>[[Mark Field]]<br>[[George Howarth]]<br>[[Julian Murray Lewis|Julian Lewis]]<br>[[Michael Ancram]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2015–2017 || [[Dominic Grieve]] || [[Richard Benyon]] (from October 2016)<br>[[Alan Duncan]] (until July 2016)<br>[[David Hanson]] (from October 2016)<br>[[George Howarth]] (until October 2016)<br>[[Robin Janvrin]]<br>[[Michael Ancram]]<br>[[Fiona Mactaggart]]<br>[[Angus Robertson]]<br>[[Keith Simpson]]<br>[[Gisela Stuart]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2017–2019 || [[Dominic Grieve]] || [[Richard Benyon]]<br>[[Ian Blackford]] (until April 2019)<br>[[Caroline Flint]]<br>[[David Hanson]]<br>[[Stewart Hosie]] (from April 2019)<br>[[Robin Janvrin]]<br>[[Kevan Jones]]<br>[[Michael Ancram]]<br>[[Keith Simpson]] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2019–2024 || [[Julian Murray Lewis|Julian Lewis]] (elected July 2020) || [[Angela Eagle]] (from January 2024)<br>[[Maria Eagle]] (February 2022–September 2023)<br>[[Chris Grayling]] (until August 2020)<br>[[John Hayes|Sir John Hayes]]<br>[[Stewart Hosie]] (until December 2022)<br>[[Diana Johnson]] (until January 2022)<br>[[Kevan Jones]]<br>[[Mark Pritchard]] (until January 2022)<br>[[Bob Stewart]] (from August 2020)<br>[[Owen Thompson]] (from February 2023)<br>[[Theresa Villiers]]<br>[[Alan West]]<br>[[Jeremy Wright]] (from February 2022) | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2024–present || [[Kevan Jones|Lord Beamish]] || [[Jeremy Wright|Sir Jeremy Wright]] (deputy chair)<br>[[Julia King|Baroness Brown of Cambridge]]<br>[[Peter Dowd]]<br>[[Richard Foord]]<br>[[John Hayes|Sir John Hayes]]<br>[[Jessica Morden]]<br>[[Derek Twigg]]<br>[[Alan West|Lord West of Spithead]] | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | <ref name="p11ISCMembership" /> | ||
| + | The current nine-person roster was also set out in the Committee’s press notice of 26 February 2026 and on its membership page checked on 6 November 2026.<ref name="infobox2026_membership"/><ref name="merged_dbe664111b">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, [https://isc.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260226-ISC-Press-Notice.docx-1.pdf Press Notice], 26 February 2026, accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The final 2005–10 roster was also published on the [[Cabinet Office]]’s earlier membership page.<ref name="merged_5c75691f31">[http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/intelligence/committee_membership.aspx Committee Membership], Cabinet Office.</ref> A November 2005 statement issued by the [[British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom]] described [[Peter Archer|Lord Archer of Sandwell]] QC as a member; the Committee’s own archive records his service in the 1997–2001 and 2001–05 Parliaments.<ref name="restored_10_pre-publish_nov">BPCIF, [http://iran-freedom.org/pdf/november2005.pdf "1300 British Lawyers Call for Removal of Unjust Terror Tag from Iranian Mojahedin"], British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, November 2005, accessed on 21 December 2010</ref><ref name="p11ISCMembership" /> | ||
[[File:Marco Rubio meets with three Members of Parliament during his official visit to London - Powerbase.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Marco Rubio meets British MPs, including then Intelligence and Security Committee Chair Malcolm Rifkind, during a visit to London.]] | [[File:Marco Rubio meets with three Members of Parliament during his official visit to London - Powerbase.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Marco Rubio meets British MPs, including then Intelligence and Security Committee Chair Malcolm Rifkind, during a visit to London.]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Reports and inquiries == | ||
| + | The [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] publishes annual reports as well as thematic inquiries. The following table summarises selected major publications; findings are attributed to the Committee rather than treated as judicial determinations. | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Selected reports and principal findings | ||
| + | ! Publication date !! Report !! Findings and scope !! Source | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | September 2003 || ''Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction – Intelligence and Assessments'' || Examined intelligence underpinning the invasion of Iraq. Criticised omission of the battlefield context of the “45 minutes” claim and the handling of the February 2003 dossier. || <ref name="p11Iraq2003">Intelligence and Security Committee, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cc62b40f0b65b3de0b16c/Iraq_WMD.pdf Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction – Intelligence and Assessments], Cm 5972, September 2003, conclusions and recommendations, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | March 2005 || ''The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq'' || Identified limited and specific breaches, shortcomings in training and reporting, and a discrepancy between ministerial assurances and the instructions then issued to intelligence personnel. || <ref name="p11Detainees2005">Intelligence and Security Committee, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7b97f3e5274a7318b8faca/isc_handling_detainees.pdf The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq], Cm 6469, March 2005, paragraphs 108–130, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | July 2007 || ''Rendition'' || Supported continuing intelligence-sharing relationships but criticised inadequate searchable records and called for safeguards against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. || <ref name="p11Rendition2007">Intelligence and Security Committee, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c3697ed915d7d70d1d55e/rendition.pdf Rendition], Cm 7171, July 2007, summary of conclusions and recommendations, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | May 2009 || ''Could 7/7 Have Been Prevented?'' || Reviewed the intelligence on the 7 July 2005 London attacks. Judged [[Security Service|MI5]] and police decisions understandable and reasonable given their information and priorities, while acknowledging that no absolute assurance against future attacks was possible. || <ref name="p11SevenSeven2009">Intelligence and Security Committee, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224542/7-7_attacks_intelligence.pdf Could 7/7 Have Been Prevented? Review of the Intelligence on the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005], Cm 7617, May 2009, paragraphs 209–215, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 25 November 2014 || ''Report on the intelligence relating to the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby'' || Found that the agencies could not have prevented the murder on the information then available, while identifying errors, delays and missed opportunities. Highlighted an online exchange unknown to the agencies before the attack. || <ref name="p11Rigby2014">BBC News, [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30192912 Woolwich murder: Lee Rigby’s death ‘not preventable’], 25 November 2014, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 12 March 2015 || ''Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework'' || Defended the necessity and proportionality of bulk capabilities while calling for a single, clearer legislative framework, explicit safeguards and stronger oversight of bulk personal datasets. || <ref name="p11Privacy2015">Patrick Wintour and Rowena Mason, [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/12/uk-surveillance-laws-need-total-overhaul-says-landmark-report-edward-snowden UK surveillance laws need total overhaul, says landmark report], ''The Guardian'', 12 March 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 5 July 2016 || ''Annual Report 2015–2016'' || Reported work on the Investigatory Powers Bill and the importance of timely information from departments, alongside agency expenditure and administration. || <ref name="p11ISC2016">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ''Annual Report 2015–2016'', HC 444, 5 July 2016, paragraphs 4–18.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 26 April 2017 || ''UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria'' || Found that [[Reyaad Khan]] posed a serious threat, but said withheld ministerial submissions prevented full scrutiny of the decision-making process and imminence assessment. || <ref name="p11Drones2017">Ewen MacAskill, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/26/briton-killed-in-drone-strike-on-isis-posed-serious-threat-to-uk-reyaad-khan Briton killed in drone strike on Isis ‘posed serious threat to UK’], ''The Guardian'', 26 April 2017, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 28 June 2018 || ''Detainee Mistreatment and Rendition: 2001–2010'' and ''Current Issues'' || Documented extensive UK knowledge of, and involvement in, mistreatment-related intelligence activity. Reported that restrictions on access to relevant officers prevented the Committee from completing a definitive account. || <ref name="p11Detainees2018">Ian Cobain and Ewen MacAskill, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/28/criticism-mounts-over-uk-post-9-11-role-in-torture-and-rendition Criticism mounts over UK’s post-9/11 role in torture and rendition], ''The Guardian'', 28 June 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 22 November 2018 || ''The 2017 Attacks: What needs to change?'' || Examined lessons across the 2017 terrorist attacks, including information sharing, handling of subjects of interest, travel monitoring, online extremism and access to explosive precursors. || <ref name="p11Attacks2018">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c585646ed915d04538f1198/HC1694_The2017Attacks_WhatNeedsToChange.pdf The 2017 Attacks: What needs to change?], HC 1694, 22 November 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 22 November 2018 || ''Annual Report 2017–2018'' || Covered the reconstitution of the Committee after the 2017 election, Syria and the continuing examination of intelligence-community expenditure and administration. || <ref name="p11ISC2018">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ''Annual Report 2017–2018'', HC 1692, 22 November 2018.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 21 July 2020 || ''Russia'' || Identified weaknesses in protecting UK democratic processes, including the government and intelligence agencies’ failure properly to assess Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 EU referendum. Publication was delayed across the 2019 election and reconstitution of the Committee.<ref name="p11GraylingResignation" /> || <ref name="p11IFG2026" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 13 July 2023 || ''China'' || Described a whole-of-state challenge spanning academia, industry, technology and civil nuclear energy, and judged government resources and strategic coordination inadequate. || <ref name="p11ISC2025" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 5 December 2023 || ''International Partnerships'' || Supported partnerships as a force multiplier while stressing legal and ethical constraints and the need to embed compliance in operational culture. || <ref name="p11ISC2025" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 5 December 2023 || ''Annual Report 2022–2023'' || Raised concerns about resources and gaps in oversight as intelligence and security responsibilities moved into departments outside the memorandum of understanding. || <ref name="p11ISC2023">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ''Annual Report 2022–2023'', HC 287, 5 December 2023.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 10 July 2025 || ''Iran'' || Addressed physical threats to dissidents and journalists, espionage, cyber operations and the use of proxies. Criticised crisis-driven government policy; evidence-taking ended in August 2023, before subsequent regional developments. || <ref name="p11Iran2025">Patrick Wintour, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/10/iran-threat-to-uk-on-a-par-with-russia-security-report-finds Iran’s threat to UK on a par with Russia’s, security report finds], ''The Guardian'', 10 July 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 15 December 2025 || ''Annual Report 2023–2025'' || Covered work on the National Security Act 2023 and Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024, and identified serious problems with the Committee’s independence, staffing and remit. || <ref name="p11ISC2025" /><ref name="p11ISC2025leg">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ''Annual Report 2023–2025'', HC 1544, 15 December 2025, paragraphs 22–73 (legislation, including the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 and the National Security Act 2023).</ref> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | == Independence, access and publication disputes == | ||
| + | === Executive control and the secretariat === | ||
| + | In March 2010, [[Kim Howells]] told the [[House of Commons]] that [[Cabinet Office]] control of staffing, accommodation and resources threatened the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]]’s independence. [[Michael Mates]] said that the clerk had been reprimanded because staff had not told the Cabinet Office what the chair intended to say. Howells defended the secretariat as working for the Committee and argued that it should be administratively separated from a department it scrutinised.<ref name="p11Howells2010">UK Parliament, [https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2010-03-18/debates/10031848000001/IntelligenceAndSecurityCommittee Intelligence and Security Committee], ''Hansard'', House of Commons, 18 March 2010, vol. 507, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | In its 2023–25 annual report, the Committee again described Cabinet Office control of its office as constitutionally inappropriate. It said that it had unanimously agreed on 19 March 2024 to seek an independent office, constituted as a body corporate and linked to [[UK Parliament|Parliament]] through a new board. It also warned that the failure to update the memorandum of understanding left widening gaps as national-security functions spread into other departments.<ref name="p11ISC2025" /> | ||
| + | The same report’s wording is that adding Cabinet Office units to the Committee’s remit in 2013 “raised a serious constitutional issue: an oversight body should not sit within (and be beholden to) a body that it oversees.” The 19 March 2024 decision and the widening-remit discussion are at paragraphs 79–85 and 99–103.<ref name="p11ISC2025" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Committee reported more encouraging developments in December 2025: a meeting with [[Keir Starmer]] on 14 July 2025, the first meeting with a Prime Minister for more than ten years, and confirmation of a temporary increase in staff. A [[Cabinet Office]] Head of Office recruitment advertisement current in November 2026 described the office as still a Cabinet Office business unit, but with a recently increased budget of about £3.2 million and a staffing ceiling of 30 full-time equivalents. It stated that alternative arrangements to strengthen independence were being considered.<ref name="p11Reset2025">Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, [https://www.julianlewis.net/intelligence-and-security-committee-press-notices/press-notice-annual-report-2023-2025-hc-1544-15-december-2025 Press notice: Annual Report 2023–2025 (HC 1544)], 15 December 2025, reproduced by Julian Lewis, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11Office2026">Cabinet Office, [https://www.jobsgopublic.com/job/deputy-director-head-office-intelligence-and-security-committee-115295 Deputy Director, Head of The Office of the Intelligence and Security Committee], ''Jobs Go Public'', recruitment advertisement closing 17 November 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Delays and access to evidence === | ||
| + | In 2010, [[Kim Howells]] complained that publication of the 2008–09 annual report had been delayed for months. In 2018, [[Dominic Grieve]] said restrictions on access to intelligence officers had forced the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] to draw a line under its detainee inquiry without completing the full account it sought. The government’s stated concerns included legal protection for witnesses; critics disputed that justification.<ref name="p11Howells2010" /><ref name="p11Detainees2018" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Russia report was not published before the December 2019 general election and appeared only in July 2020. The [[Institute for Government]] describes the delay and the subsequent period without a reconstituted committee as important examples of the executive’s influence over publication and appointments.<ref name="p11IFG2026" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Rifkind resignation, 2015 === | ||
| + | [[Malcolm Rifkind]] resigned as chair on 24 February 2015 after cash-for-access allegations, while remaining a member for the remainder of that [[UK Parliament|Parliament]]. He denied wrongdoing. The [[Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards]] subsequently found no breach of the rules by Rifkind, a conclusion accepted by the [[House of Commons Committee on Standards]].<ref name="p11RifkindResignation">The Guardian, [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/24/sir-malcolm-rifkind-resigns-isc-chairman-step-down-mp Malcolm Rifkind resigns as ISC chairman and will step down as MP], 24 February 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11RifkindStandards">Rowena Mason, [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/17/sir-malcolm-rifkind-and-jack-straw-cleared-of-cash-for-access-misconduct Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw cleared of cash-for-access misconduct], ''The Guardian'', 17 September 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === The 2020 chair election === | ||
| + | In July 2020, members elected [[Julian Murray Lewis|Julian Lewis]] rather than [[Chris Grayling]], the government’s preferred candidate. The [[Conservative Party]] removed the whip from Lewis before restoring it in December. Grayling resigned from the Committee in August. The episode demonstrated that the members’ statutory choice of chair was not automatically determined by the Prime Minister’s preference.<ref name="p11IFG2026" /><ref name="p11GraylingResignation">The Guardian, [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/28/chris-grayling-resigns-from Chris Grayling resigns from intelligence and security committee], 28 August 2020, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Oversight and privacy === | ||
| + | After the [[Edward Snowden]] disclosures, the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]]’s 2015 privacy report defended bulk capabilities while criticising the opacity of the legal framework. [[Liberty]] and the [[Open Rights Group]] argued that the report showed inadequate independence and expertise; the Committee maintained that the capabilities it examined were necessary and proportionate. The disagreement concerned both surveillance powers and the credibility of their parliamentary scrutiny.<ref name="p11Privacy2015" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Mandelson documents, 2026 === | ||
| + | In February 2026, the [[House of Commons]] agreed arrangements under which the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]] would scrutinise material concerning [[Peter Mandelson]]’s appointment as ambassador to the United States which the government considered prejudicial to national security or international relations. The [[Institute for Government]] described this as putting the Committee at the centre of the balance between parliamentary transparency and protection of sensitive information.<ref name="p11IFG2026" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Office, staff and resources == | ||
| + | The [[Intelligence and Security Committee]]’s staff work directly for the Committee but are employed administratively through the [[Cabinet Office]]. Published records identify the following clerks and senior officials. The dates distinguish a documented appointment from the reporting period in which a change was recorded.<ref name="p11ISC2025" /> | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Documented clerks and senior investigative staff | ||
| + | ! Person !! Post !! Documented period | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Jonathan Alden]] || First clerk || From inception; departure recorded during 1998–99 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Alistair Corbett]] || Clerk || Succeeded Alden during 1998–99; documented in October 2004 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Emma-Louise Avery]] || Clerk; later Director and Chief Executive || Clerk appointed January 2006; senior office named in the 2026 New Year Honours | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[John Morrison (born 1943)]] || First investigator || 1999–2004 | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | <ref name="p11ISC1999">Intelligence and Security Committee, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c6018ed915d6969f446ff/4532.pdf Annual Report 1998–99], November 1999, introduction, paragraph 3, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11Corbett2004">Parliament of Australia, [https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=pjcaad%2Fannualreport04_05%2Fchapter3.htm Annual Report of Committee Activities 2004–2005, chapter 3: International Intelligence Review Agencies Conference], paragraph 3.2, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11Staff2009">Gordon Brown, [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090703/text/90703w0017.htm#09070375004169 Intelligence and Security Committee: Manpower], ''Hansard'', House of Commons, 3 July 2009, column 499W, question 282674, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11Honours2026">Cabinet Office, [https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/69492a05888ddc41b48a5465/NY26_Transparency_List__Final__19_12_25.csv New Year Honours List 2026], 29 December 2025, entry for Emma-Louise Avery, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><ref name="p11Morrison2018">Paul Morrison, [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/28/john-morrison-obituary John Morrison obituary], ''The Guardian'', 28 June 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Reported office resources | ||
| + | ! Period / basis !! Budget !! Staffing allocation | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2013 settlement || £1.84 million || 15.1 full-time equivalents | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2022/23 final budget || £1.635 million || No corresponding figure given here | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2024/25 || £1.425 million || 9 full-time equivalents | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2025/26 initial delegation, received April 2025 || £1.363 million || Further uplift subsequently agreed | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | November 2026 recruitment advertisement || Approximately £3.2 million || Ceiling of 30 full-time equivalents | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | <ref name="p11ISC2025" /><ref name="p11Office2026" /> | ||
| + | |||
==External Resources== | ==External Resources== | ||
| − | *Richard Norton-Taylor, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/21/security-intelligence-agencies-evidence-public Security and intelligence agencies to give evidence in public for first time], guardian.co.uk, 21 June 2011. | + | *[[Richard Norton-Taylor]], [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/21/security-intelligence-agencies-evidence-public Security and intelligence agencies to give evidence in public for first time], guardian.co.uk, 21 June 2011. |
| − | ==Notes== | + | == Notes == |
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:Spooks]] | [[Category:Spooks]] | ||
| + | [[Category:UK Parliament]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:36, 10 November 2026
Statutory parliamentary committee overseeing the United Kingdom’s intelligence and security community
| 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[1] |
| Status | Committee of Parliament; nine members on the roster checked in November 2026[2] |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Area served | United Kingdom |
| Services | Scrutiny of intelligence policy, expenditure, administration and operations[3] |
| Registration | Established by the Intelligence Services Act 1994; reconstituted under the Justice and Security Act 2013 |
| Key people | Kevan Jones (Lord Beamish) — Chair; Jeremy Wright — Deputy Chair[2] |
| Website | Official website |
| Remarks | Members appointed by Parliament after Prime Ministerial nomination and opposition consultation; Chair elected by members[2] |
The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) 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).[1]
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):
| Entry |
|---|
| 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.[4] |
History and statutory powers
The 1994 settlement
The Intelligence Services Act 1994 provided for a nine-member committee drawn from the House of Commons and House of Lords, excluding serving ministers. The Prime Minister appointed the members and chair after consulting the Leader of the Opposition. Its statutory remit covered expenditure, administration and policy, and its annual reports were made to the Prime Minister, who laid redacted copies before Parliament.[5]
Richard J. Aldrich describes the original Intelligence and Security Committee as weaker than an ordinary parliamentary select committee and accountable to the Prime Minister rather than Parliament. He argues that creating a specialist oversight body also enabled government to resist intelligence inquiries by the Defence Select Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee.[6]
Justice and Security Act 2013
The Justice and Security Act 2013 re-established the body as the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. Members are appointed by their respective Houses, but only after nomination by the Prime Minister following consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Members elect their own chair; ministers remain ineligible. Membership normally ends at dissolution, and former members may be reappointed.[7][8]
Section 2 expressly adds operations to the statutory remit and permits scrutiny of other government intelligence and security activities identified in a published memorandum of understanding. The power is not an unrestricted right to supervise live operations. A particular operational matter may be considered where the Committee and Prime Minister agree that it is not ongoing and is of significant national interest, where the Prime Minister requests examination, or to the extent that information is provided voluntarily.[9]
Under Schedule 1, information requested within the statutory arrangements must be supplied or withheld on a decision of the Secretary of State. The grounds include defined sensitive information whose disclosure would be contrary to national security and other grounds on which a minister could properly refuse disclosure to a departmental select committee. The Committee can take evidence on oath and has a quorum of three.[8]
The Committee now reports directly to Parliament, but must send reports to the Prime Minister before publication and exclude material which the Prime Minister, after consultation, considers prejudicial to the functions of the bodies concerned. It can also send confidential reports to the Prime Minister. This statutory publication mechanism remains distinct from ordinary select-committee practice.[10]
Membership by Parliament
The Intelligence and Security Committee’s official membership archive lists the following membership across successive Parliaments. The first row covers service from the Committee’s creation in 1994 within the 1992–97 Parliament, not a committee existing in 1992. Parliamentary periods do not imply uninterrupted service between elections: the 2019–24 Committee was not constituted until July 2020; the next Committee was appointed on 16 December 2024 and elected its chair on 18 December.[11][12][13]
[11] The current nine-person roster was also set out in the Committee’s press notice of 26 February 2026 and on its membership page checked on 6 November 2026.[2][15]
The final 2005–10 roster was also published on the Cabinet Office’s earlier membership page.[16] A November 2005 statement issued by the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom described Lord Archer of Sandwell QC as a member; the Committee’s own archive records his service in the 1997–2001 and 2001–05 Parliaments.[17][11]
Reports and inquiries
The Intelligence and Security Committee publishes annual reports as well as thematic inquiries. The following table summarises selected major publications; findings are attributed to the Committee rather than treated as judicial determinations.
| Publication date | Report | Findings and scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2003 | Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction – Intelligence and Assessments | Examined intelligence underpinning the invasion of Iraq. Criticised omission of the battlefield context of the “45 minutes” claim and the handling of the February 2003 dossier. | [18] |
| March 2005 | The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq | Identified limited and specific breaches, shortcomings in training and reporting, and a discrepancy between ministerial assurances and the instructions then issued to intelligence personnel. | [19] |
| July 2007 | Rendition | Supported continuing intelligence-sharing relationships but criticised inadequate searchable records and called for safeguards against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. | [20] |
| May 2009 | Could 7/7 Have Been Prevented? | Reviewed the intelligence on the 7 July 2005 London attacks. Judged MI5 and police decisions understandable and reasonable given their information and priorities, while acknowledging that no absolute assurance against future attacks was possible. | [21] |
| 25 November 2014 | Report on the intelligence relating to the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby | Found that the agencies could not have prevented the murder on the information then available, while identifying errors, delays and missed opportunities. Highlighted an online exchange unknown to the agencies before the attack. | [22] |
| 12 March 2015 | Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework | Defended the necessity and proportionality of bulk capabilities while calling for a single, clearer legislative framework, explicit safeguards and stronger oversight of bulk personal datasets. | [23] |
| 5 July 2016 | Annual Report 2015–2016 | Reported work on the Investigatory Powers Bill and the importance of timely information from departments, alongside agency expenditure and administration. | [24] |
| 26 April 2017 | UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria | Found that Reyaad Khan posed a serious threat, but said withheld ministerial submissions prevented full scrutiny of the decision-making process and imminence assessment. | [25] |
| 28 June 2018 | Detainee Mistreatment and Rendition: 2001–2010 and Current Issues | Documented extensive UK knowledge of, and involvement in, mistreatment-related intelligence activity. Reported that restrictions on access to relevant officers prevented the Committee from completing a definitive account. | [26] |
| 22 November 2018 | The 2017 Attacks: What needs to change? | Examined lessons across the 2017 terrorist attacks, including information sharing, handling of subjects of interest, travel monitoring, online extremism and access to explosive precursors. | [27] |
| 22 November 2018 | Annual Report 2017–2018 | Covered the reconstitution of the Committee after the 2017 election, Syria and the continuing examination of intelligence-community expenditure and administration. | [28] |
| 21 July 2020 | Russia | Identified weaknesses in protecting UK democratic processes, including the government and intelligence agencies’ failure properly to assess Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 EU referendum. Publication was delayed across the 2019 election and reconstitution of the Committee.[29] | [12] |
| 13 July 2023 | China | Described a whole-of-state challenge spanning academia, industry, technology and civil nuclear energy, and judged government resources and strategic coordination inadequate. | [13] |
| 5 December 2023 | International Partnerships | Supported partnerships as a force multiplier while stressing legal and ethical constraints and the need to embed compliance in operational culture. | [13] |
| 5 December 2023 | Annual Report 2022–2023 | Raised concerns about resources and gaps in oversight as intelligence and security responsibilities moved into departments outside the memorandum of understanding. | [30] |
| 10 July 2025 | Iran | Addressed physical threats to dissidents and journalists, espionage, cyber operations and the use of proxies. Criticised crisis-driven government policy; evidence-taking ended in August 2023, before subsequent regional developments. | [31] |
| 15 December 2025 | Annual Report 2023–2025 | Covered work on the National Security Act 2023 and Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024, and identified serious problems with the Committee’s independence, staffing and remit. | [13][32] |
Independence, access and publication disputes
Executive control and the secretariat
In March 2010, Kim Howells told the House of Commons that Cabinet Office control of staffing, accommodation and resources threatened the Intelligence and Security Committee’s independence. Michael Mates said that the clerk had been reprimanded because staff had not told the Cabinet Office what the chair intended to say. Howells defended the secretariat as working for the Committee and argued that it should be administratively separated from a department it scrutinised.[33]
In its 2023–25 annual report, the Committee again described Cabinet Office control of its office as constitutionally inappropriate. It said that it had unanimously agreed on 19 March 2024 to seek an independent office, constituted as a body corporate and linked to Parliament through a new board. It also warned that the failure to update the memorandum of understanding left widening gaps as national-security functions spread into other departments.[13] The same report’s wording is that adding Cabinet Office units to the Committee’s remit in 2013 “raised a serious constitutional issue: an oversight body should not sit within (and be beholden to) a body that it oversees.” The 19 March 2024 decision and the widening-remit discussion are at paragraphs 79–85 and 99–103.[13]
The Committee reported more encouraging developments in December 2025: a meeting with Keir Starmer on 14 July 2025, the first meeting with a Prime Minister for more than ten years, and confirmation of a temporary increase in staff. A Cabinet Office Head of Office recruitment advertisement current in November 2026 described the office as still a Cabinet Office business unit, but with a recently increased budget of about £3.2 million and a staffing ceiling of 30 full-time equivalents. It stated that alternative arrangements to strengthen independence were being considered.[34][35]
Delays and access to evidence
In 2010, Kim Howells complained that publication of the 2008–09 annual report had been delayed for months. In 2018, Dominic Grieve said restrictions on access to intelligence officers had forced the Intelligence and Security Committee to draw a line under its detainee inquiry without completing the full account it sought. The government’s stated concerns included legal protection for witnesses; critics disputed that justification.[33][26]
The Russia report was not published before the December 2019 general election and appeared only in July 2020. The Institute for Government describes the delay and the subsequent period without a reconstituted committee as important examples of the executive’s influence over publication and appointments.[12]
Rifkind resignation, 2015
Malcolm Rifkind resigned as chair on 24 February 2015 after cash-for-access allegations, while remaining a member for the remainder of that Parliament. He denied wrongdoing. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards subsequently found no breach of the rules by Rifkind, a conclusion accepted by the House of Commons Committee on Standards.[14][36]
The 2020 chair election
In July 2020, members elected Julian Lewis rather than Chris Grayling, the government’s preferred candidate. The Conservative Party removed the whip from Lewis before restoring it in December. Grayling resigned from the Committee in August. The episode demonstrated that the members’ statutory choice of chair was not automatically determined by the Prime Minister’s preference.[12][29]
Oversight and privacy
After the Edward Snowden disclosures, the Intelligence and Security Committee’s 2015 privacy report defended bulk capabilities while criticising the opacity of the legal framework. Liberty and the Open Rights Group argued that the report showed inadequate independence and expertise; the Committee maintained that the capabilities it examined were necessary and proportionate. The disagreement concerned both surveillance powers and the credibility of their parliamentary scrutiny.[23]
Mandelson documents, 2026
In February 2026, the House of Commons agreed arrangements under which the Intelligence and Security Committee would scrutinise material concerning Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States which the government considered prejudicial to national security or international relations. The Institute for Government described this as putting the Committee at the centre of the balance between parliamentary transparency and protection of sensitive information.[12]
Office, staff and resources
The Intelligence and Security Committee’s staff work directly for the Committee but are employed administratively through the Cabinet Office. Published records identify the following clerks and senior officials. The dates distinguish a documented appointment from the reporting period in which a change was recorded.[13]
| Person | Post | Documented period |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Alden | First clerk | From inception; departure recorded during 1998–99 |
| Alistair Corbett | Clerk | Succeeded Alden during 1998–99; documented in October 2004 |
| Emma-Louise Avery | Clerk; later Director and Chief Executive | Clerk appointed January 2006; senior office named in the 2026 New Year Honours |
| John Morrison (born 1943) | First investigator | 1999–2004 |
| Period / basis | Budget | Staffing allocation |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 settlement | £1.84 million | 15.1 full-time equivalents |
| 2022/23 final budget | £1.635 million | No corresponding figure given here |
| 2024/25 | £1.425 million | 9 full-time equivalents |
| 2025/26 initial delegation, received April 2025 | £1.363 million | Further uplift subsequently agreed |
| November 2026 recruitment advertisement | Approximately £3.2 million | Ceiling of 30 full-time equivalents |
External Resources
- Richard Norton-Taylor, Security and intelligence agencies to give evidence in public for first time, guardian.co.uk, 21 June 2011.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Intelligence and Security Committee, Cabinet Office, accessed 28 February 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Committee Membership (undated), accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, "How the Committee works", undated, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ How the Committee works, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Intelligence Services Act 1994, section 10 (as enacted), accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Richard J. Aldrich, GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence Agency, William Collins, revised ebook edition, 2019, chapter 23, “From Cold War to Hot Peace – The Gulf War and Bosnia”.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Justice and Security Act 2013, section 1, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 UK Parliament, Justice and Security Act 2013, Schedule 1, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Justice and Security Act 2013, section 2, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Justice and Security Act 2013, section 3, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Committee Membership, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Catherine Haddon and Hannah White, The Intelligence and Security Committee, Institute for Government, updated 9 February 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Annual Report 2023–2025, HC 1544, 15 December 2025, paragraphs 4–18, 74 and 77–103, and footnotes 40–41.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 The Guardian, Malcolm Rifkind resigns as ISC chairman and will step down as MP, 24 February 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Press Notice, 26 February 2026, accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ Committee Membership, Cabinet Office.
- ↑ BPCIF, "1300 British Lawyers Call for Removal of Unjust Terror Tag from Iranian Mojahedin", British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, November 2005, accessed on 21 December 2010
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee, Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction – Intelligence and Assessments, Cm 5972, September 2003, conclusions and recommendations, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee, The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, Cm 6469, March 2005, paragraphs 108–130, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee, Rendition, Cm 7171, July 2007, summary of conclusions and recommendations, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee, Could 7/7 Have Been Prevented? Review of the Intelligence on the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005, Cm 7617, May 2009, paragraphs 209–215, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ BBC News, Woolwich murder: Lee Rigby’s death ‘not preventable’, 25 November 2014, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Patrick Wintour and Rowena Mason, UK surveillance laws need total overhaul, says landmark report, The Guardian, 12 March 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Annual Report 2015–2016, HC 444, 5 July 2016, paragraphs 4–18.
- ↑ Ewen MacAskill, Briton killed in drone strike on Isis ‘posed serious threat to UK’, The Guardian, 26 April 2017, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Ian Cobain and Ewen MacAskill, Criticism mounts over UK’s post-9/11 role in torture and rendition, The Guardian, 28 June 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, The 2017 Attacks: What needs to change?, HC 1694, 22 November 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Annual Report 2017–2018, HC 1692, 22 November 2018.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 The Guardian, Chris Grayling resigns from intelligence and security committee, 28 August 2020, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Annual Report 2022–2023, HC 287, 5 December 2023.
- ↑ Patrick Wintour, Iran’s threat to UK on a par with Russia’s, security report finds, The Guardian, 10 July 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Annual Report 2023–2025, HC 1544, 15 December 2025, paragraphs 22–73 (legislation, including the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 and the National Security Act 2023).
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 UK Parliament, Intelligence and Security Committee, Hansard, House of Commons, 18 March 2010, vol. 507, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Press notice: Annual Report 2023–2025 (HC 1544), 15 December 2025, reproduced by Julian Lewis, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Cabinet Office, Deputy Director, Head of The Office of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Jobs Go Public, recruitment advertisement closing 17 November 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Rowena Mason, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw cleared of cash-for-access misconduct, The Guardian, 17 September 2015, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence and Security Committee, Annual Report 1998–99, November 1999, introduction, paragraph 3, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Parliament of Australia, Annual Report of Committee Activities 2004–2005, chapter 3: International Intelligence Review Agencies Conference, paragraph 3.2, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Gordon Brown, Intelligence and Security Committee: Manpower, Hansard, House of Commons, 3 July 2009, column 499W, question 282674, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Cabinet Office, New Year Honours List 2026, 29 December 2025, entry for Emma-Louise Avery, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Paul Morrison, John Morrison obituary, The Guardian, 28 June 2018, accessed 8 November 2026.