Programme of Work
7. On our appointment, we made clear our intention to pursue a number of existing inquiries, including into:
- the Agencies' internal security policies and procedures, their policies and practices on personal records, recruitment and personnel management. These were areas where the Committee had previously had concerns. Particularly in respect of internal security, we wondered whether arrangements were as good as they should be;
- the continuing risks from Irish terrorism; and
- the arrangements for co-ordination between the Security Service and the law enforcement organisations in respect of serious organised crime.
8. We have also considered a number of other intelligence and security matters which are relevant to our remit. In particular, we have been taking a close interest in GCHQ's new accommodation project under the Private Finance Initiative, where a decision on the preferred bidder and the new arrangements is to be made in October. These decisions on accommodation and location are the most fundamental that GCHQ has faced since its original move from Bletchley Park. In this connection, the rapid series of changes of Director has not been helpful. The new Director is the fourth within two years, and finds himself faced with immediate decisions on these critical issues. The challenge of ensuring no interruption to operating capabilities during this reorganisation is a daunting one, which will demand the highest levels of management skill.
9. We have also taken some evidence on questions of intelligence policy arising from recent events in Sierra Leone1. We agreed to suspend further inquiries pending publication of the Legg Report. This has now been received, and we shall be considering these matters further.
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