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Central Intelligence Machinery

The Central Intelligence Machinery is the central mechanism, based in the Cabinet Office, for the tasking, co-ordination and resourcing of the United Kingdom's intelligence and security Agencies, for scrutinising their performance and for reporting on the intelligence they produce. The 1994 Intelligence Services Act placed the functions of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) on a statutory footing for the first time. There is greater openness on the expenditure of the Agencies; a combined Single Intelligence Vote is now published annually. And a new Official Committee has been set up to examine the plans of the Security Service and to review its work.

Ministerial Committee on the Intelligence Services (IS)

In their day-to-day operations the Intelligence and Security Agencies operate under the immediate control of their respective Heads who are personally responsible to Ministers. The Prime Minister is responsible for intelligence and security matters overall and is supported in that capacity by the Secretary of the Cabinet. The Home Secretary is responsible for the Security Service; the Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary for SIS and GCHQ. The Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) which forms an integral part of the Ministry of Defence.

There is also a Ministerial Committee on the Intelligence Services (IS), whose Terms of Reference are "To keep under review policy on the security and intelligence services" For example, the Committee considered the policy issues connected with the Intelligence Services Act. The Prime Minister is its chairman and the other members are the Deputy Prime Minister, Home, Defence and Foreign & Commonwealth Secretaries and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Permanent Secretaries' Committee on the Intelligence Services (PSIS)

Ministers are assisted in the oversight of the Agencies by the Permanent Secretaries' Committee on the Intelligence Services (PSIS) which scrutinises the Agencies' annual expenditure forecasts, management plans and intelligence requirements, as part of the Public Expenditure Survey arrangements. These plans, together with the recommendations of the PSIS, are then submitted to Ministers, who agree the appropriate level of funding for the Agencies through the Single Intelligence Vote (SIV). For 1996-97 this is £751 million. PSIS is chaired by the Secretary of the Cabinet and its members are the Permanent Under Secretaries of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, Home Office and Treasury. The Intelligence Co-ordinator acts as adviser to PSIS, and chairs an advisory committee, known as the Preliminary Committee, which conducts the first scrutiny of the Agencies' Expenditure Forecasts.

Cabinet Official Committee on Security (SO)

The Security Service has its functions set out in the Security Service Acts 1989 and 1996. While the Service is in a position to contribute intelligence on some of the JIC's requirements (for example, terrorism), its overall priorities are determined by its remit to counter certain types of threat. In recognition of this, its business plans are validated, and its performance reviewed, annually by an inter-departmental sub-committee of the Cabinet Official Committee on Security (SO) - known as the Sub-Committee on Security Service Priorities and Performance (SO(SSPP)).

The Committee has the responsibility to review the performance of the Security Service against plans and objectives, examine future Service priorities and to advise the Cabinet Secretary and PSIS as appropriate. Its membership comprises senior officials from the Treasury, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Department of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Defence, Department of Social Security, Scottish Office, Northern Ireland Office, GCHQ, Security Service, SIS, Office of Public Service and the Cabinet Office. The Home Office provides the Chairman and the secretariat functions are provided from the central intelligence machinery within the Cabinet Office.