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]

Work of 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 members of the committee are notified under the Official Secrets Act 1989 and are given access to highly classified material in carrying out their duties. The committee holds evidence sessions with Government ministers and senior officials (for example, the head of the Security Service). It also considers written evidence from the intelligence and security agencies and relevant government departments.

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.

Structure

The ISC 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 committee has an independent secretariat which was previously provided by the Cabinet Office. In its 2009–10 annual report, the ISC said there was a conflict of interest in being hosted by a department which came under its scrutiny and it has since moved to government offices at 35 Great Smith Street, with an independent web page.^[2] It also, from 2009, had a panel of three investigators: a general investigator to undertake specific investigations covering the administration and policy of the agencies, a financial investigator covering expenditure issues, and a legal advisor to provide the committee with independent legal advice. It is not known whether the current committee has continued with these three investigators. From 1999 to 2004, the committee's only investigator was John Morrison, who is a co-author of the only in-depth study of the ISC to date.^[3]

Membership

The Prime Minister appoints the nine members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, after considering nominations from Parliament and in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Serving ministers are not allowed to be members, but members may previously have held ministerial positions. Members of the committee cease to be members when Parliament is dissolved, and new members are appointed after the new Parliament convenes.

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.^[4] However, membership has effectively been decided by each house of Parliament,^{[citation needed]} though the Prime Minister formally appoints the members. As of 7 December 2010, the membership of the committee is as follows:

• The Rt Hon. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, KCMG QC MP (Chairman)
• Hazel Blears
• Sir Menzies Campbell
• Mark Field
• Paul Goggins
• George Howarth
• Julian Lewis
• Lord Butler of Brockwell
• Marquess of Lothian (Michael Ancram)

Source: ISC: Committee Members

Previous chairs of the committee are Tom King (1994–2001), Ann Taylor (2001–05), Paul Murphy (2005–08), Margaret Beckett (January – October 2008), and Dr. Kim Howells (2008–10).

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. ^ http://isc.independent.gov.uk
3. ^ "The Open Side of Secrecy: Britain's Intelligence and Security Committee": Anthony Glees, Philip H J Davies and John N L Morrison; Social Affairs Unit, London, 2006, ISBN 1-904863-16-7
4. ^ "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 website