Category: 2015 – 2017

17 March 2017

The Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve QC MP, has today issued the following statement:

“The Committee is aware of the allegations that the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, tasked GCHQ to ‘wire tap’ the now President of the United States, Donald Trump, during the 2016 US Presidential election.

First, I should make clear that the President of the United States is not able to task GCHQ to intercept an individual’s communications.

Second, long-standing agreements between the Five Eyes countries means that the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand cannot ask each other to target each other’s citizens or individuals that they cannot themselves target, or in any other way seek to circumvent their own or each other’s legal and policy obligations.

Third, an individual can only be the target of interception by GCHQ under a warrant signed by a Secretary of State. Such warrants can only authorise action where it is necessary and proportionate for a valid national security purpose. It is inconceivable that those legal requirements could be met in the circumstances described.

I note GCHQ’s public denial of the potentially damaging allegations against them. This was an unusual step by the Agency, but it clearly indicates the strength of feeling about this issue, and I echo that sentiment.”

17:44, 17 March 2017

16 December 2016

The Committee has submitted its UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria Report to the Prime Minister.

In accordance with standard practice under the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Report will now be subject to a redactions process to prepare it for publication. The Committee expects that this process will be completed in the New Year.

15:23, 16 December 2016

21 October 2016

The following motion was agreed in the House of Commons yesterday:

“That Richard Benyon and Mr David Hanson be appointed to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament under section 1 of the Justice and Security Act 2013 in place of Sir Alan Duncan who ceased in accordance with paragraph 1(2)(b) of Schedule 1 to that Act to be a member of the Committee when he became a Minister of the Crown and Mr George Howarth who has resigned as a member of the Committee in accordance with paragraph 1(3)(a) of Schedule 1 to that Act.”

The current and previous lists of ISC members is available here.

11:00, 21 October 2016

5 July 2016

The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament has today published its 2015-2016 Annual Report covering the period between the appointment of the new Committee in September 2015 and June 2016.

11:04, 5 July 2016

9 February 2016

The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament has today published its Report on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill and also issued its ‘Report on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill’ Press statement.

Today’s report builds upon the ISC’s major report published in March last year – Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework – which detailed all of the intrusive powers and capabilities available to the intelligence Agencies and which recommended significant changes to the legal framework and authorisation regimes governing their use.

10:29, 9 February 2016