Intelligence services

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on the intelligence services. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
10.05.2013	Communications Data: The draft Bill and recent developments
	The draft Communications Data Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech in 2012 and it was published on 14 June 2012. The Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny and some aspects of the Government's proposals were criticised. The Bill was frequently referred to by critics as a 'snooper's charter' and it was not taken forward in the 2012-13 session. New Government proposals on cybercrime were foreshadowed in the 2013 Queen's Speech, but these appear to be more limited than the plans set out in the draft Bill.
07.01.2013	The Terrorism Act 2000 Proscribed Organisations
	This note describes the recent history and present status of "proscribed organisations" under anti-terrorism legislation (particularly the Terrorism Act 2000).
17.05.2012	Interception of communications
	This Note looks at past and present laws regarding the interception of communications and the role of the Interception of Communications Commissioner in overseeing the present regime.
18.11.2011	The Intelligence and Security Committee:
	This paper is essentially a short selective bibliography of resources on the Intelligence and Security Committee.
22.12.2010	Security-related incidents, paramilitary-style attacks, and deaths due to the security situation in Northern Ireland
	Security-related incidents, paramilitary-style attacks, and deaths due to the security situation in Northern Ireland. By Ross Young. SN/SG/2229.

Research Papers

Date	Description
26.02.2013	Justice and Security Bill [HL] Committee Stage Report
	This paper has been produced following the Committee Stage of the Justice and Security Bill in the House of Commons, which took place between 29 January and 7 February 2013. The Bill, which has proved contentious, was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 28 May 2012. It is aimed at modernising and strengthening the oversight of the intelligence and security services and would allow the civil courts to use 'closed material procedures' to hear sensitive evidence in cases that raised national security concerns. It would also preclude the courts from ordering the disclosure of sensitive information in certain circumstances. The Bill was revised significantly in the Lords and was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 November 2012. Second Reading took place on 18 December 2012. A number of noteworthy and controversial amendments were made to the Bill in Committee.
14.12.2012	Justice and Security Bill
	This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading of the Justice and Security Bill in the House of Commons, which is due to take place on 18 December 2012. The Bill, which has proved contentious, was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 28 May 2012. It is aimed at modernising and strengthening the oversight of the intelligence and security services and would allow the civil courts to use closed material procedures to hear sensitive evidence in cases that raised national security concerns. It would also preclude the courts from ordering the disclosure of sensitive information in certain circumstances. The Bill was revised significantly in the Lords and was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 November 2012.
08.12.2006	The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill Bill 10 of 2006-07
15.01.2004	Civil Contingencies Bill (Bill 14 2003/04)
	Civil Contingencies Bill. (Bill 14 2003/04). House of Commons Library Research Paper 04/07.
19.11.2001	Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Bill, Parts III and XI:Disclosure and retention of information (Bill 49 of 2001-02)
	Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Bill, Parts III and XI:Disclosure and retention of information (Bill 49 of 2001/02). House of Commons Library Research Paper 01/98.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
08.07.2009	The Omagh bombing: access to intelligence.
	Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
25.02.2010	INVESTIGATORY POWERS (S.I., 2010, No. 123)
	That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Matters Subject to Legal Privilege) Order ...
24.02.2010	INQUIRY INTO EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION
	That this House recognises the ruling by the Court of Appeal to publish seven previously omitted paragraphs from the judgment of 21 August 2008 relating to the case of Mr Binyam Mohamed; ...
15.10.2008	DISCLOSURE OF OMAGH BOMB INTELLIGENCE MATERIAL
	That this House notes with extreme concern the disclosure by the BBC Panorama programme on 14th September that GCHQ possesses recordings of intercept intelligence relating to the 1998 ...
11.06.2008	UNAUTHORISED DISCLOSURE OF SECURITY DOCUMENTS
	That this House notes the loss of secret papers by a member of the security and intelligence services on a southbound train from Waterloo on 10th June 2008; considers this raises serious ...
14.01.2008	DEREK PASQUILL AND THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT 1989
	That this House notes the collapse of the case against Derek Pasquill; believes that the law about official secrets should be based on preventing damage to the public interest rather ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
14.06.2012	Justice and Security Bill [HL] (HL Bill 27 of 2012-13)
	This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Justice and Security Bill on 19 June 2012.

POST Papers

Date	Description
31.05.2013	Monitoring Internet Communications
	Internet communications are often monitored to investigate criminal activity. Recent attempts to update UK regulation of investigatory powers have generated controversy. This POSTnote explains the use of different internet monitoring methods and discusses the impact of evolving technologies.