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Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC)

The principal collection Agencies for secret intelligence are GCHQ and SIS. Their functions are set out in the Intelligence Services Act 1994. The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) agrees the broad intelligence requirements and tasking to be laid upon SIS and GCHQ. These are reviewed annually in a process managed by the Intelligence Co-ordinator. This combines a rigorous analysis of the need for secret intelligence with extensive consultation with customer Departments and consideration of the financial and other resources required. The resulting requirements are submitted to Ministers for approval.

The JIC sits within the Cabinet Office and is responsible for assessments and intelligence briefings that look at both tactical and strategic issues of importance to national interests, primarily in the fields of security, defence and foreign affairs. The chairman is specifically charged with ensuring that the committee monitors and gives early warning of the development of direct and indirect threats in those fields. They also provide government ministers and senior officials with assessments that appear to require operational, planning or policy action.

The JIC's permanent members are senior officials from Cabinet Office, including the JIC Chairman, the Chief of the Assessments Staff and the National Security Advisor, as well as officials from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Department for International Development, HM Treasury and the agency heads. Other departments attend as necessary.

The JIC also feeds their assessments into the NSC which is the main forum for the collective discussion of the government’s objectives for national security, in which a range of relevant departments participate. It is charged with examining more specific national security areas and overseeing and co-ordinating all aspects of Britain’s security. The Prime Minister is advised by the head of the NSC secretariat, the National Security Adviser, who is responsible for co-ordinating and delivering the government’s international security agenda.

The JIC carries out an annual review of government departments' requirements and priorities for secret intelligence concerning national security, economic well-being and the prevention of serious crime. Ministers approve these requirements and priorities, which are arranged in three orders of importance. Each level reflects the scale, directness and immediacy of the risk or benefit to UK interests.

The statement of requirements gives detailed guidance to the collectors of intelligence (SIS and GCHQ). MI5 contributes intelligence to meet some of the JIC requirements. However, in line with our statutory functions, we formulate our own set of plans and priorities, which the Home Secretary approves.

The intelligence requirements are ordered into three priorities according to their importance to the national security and economic well-being of the United Kingdom. They are further divided into matters on which secret intelligence is actively sought, and those on which intelligence should be reported on an opportunity basis. Examples of high priority requirements would be those dealing with terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and any other threats to the UK or to the integrity of British territory overseas. At the end of each year the performance of the Agencies in meeting these requirements is reviewed by the JIC and subsequently by Ministers. The Security Service has its functions set out in the Security Service Acts 1989 and 1996, and it contributes intelligence on some of the JIC's requirements (for example, terrorism).

The Committee is charged with the following responsibilities:

• Under the broad supervisory responsibility of the Permanent Secretaries' Committee on the Intelligence Services, to give direction to, and to keep under review, the organisation and working of British intelligence activity as a whole at home and overseas in order to ensure efficiency, economy and prompt adaptation to changing requirements;
• to submit, at agreed intervals, for approval by Ministers, statements of the requirements and priorities for intelligence gathering and other tasks to be conducted by the intelligence Agencies;
• to co-ordinate, as necessary, interdepartmental plans for intelligence activity;
• to monitor and give early warning of the development of direct or indirect foreign threats to British interests, whether political, military or economic;
• on the basis of available information, to assess events and situations relating to external affairs, defence, terrorism, major international criminal activity, scientific, technical and international economic matters;
• to keep under review threats to security at home and overseas and to deal with such security problems as may be referred to it;
• to maintain and supervise liaison with Commonwealth and foreign intelligence organisations as appropriate, and to consider the extent to which its product can be made available to them.

The Committee brings to the attention of Ministers and Departments, as appropriate, assessments that appear to require operational, planning or policy action. The Chairman is specifically charged with ensuring that the Committee's monitoring and warning role is discharged effectively. The Committee may constitute such permanent and temporary sub-committees and Working Parties as may be required to fulfil its responsibilities. The Committee reports to the Secretary of the Cabinet except that any special assessments required by the Chiefs of Staff shall be submitted directly to them in the first instance.