The Cabinet Office, with the agreement of the Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience, has established an interdepartmental group on security and intelligence records. The group, now known as the Consultative Group on Security and Intelligence Records, held its first meeting in July 2004 and plans to meet at roughly six-monthly intervals to consider a range of issues concerning security and intelligence–related records.
The group is chaired by the Head of Cabinet Office Knowledge and Information Management Unit, Roger Smethurst, and includes representatives from:
From the academic community, the group also includes:
The purpose of the group, as set out in its agreed terms of reference, is to consider requests from historians and other researchers of security and intelligence records and to respond where possible by:
The consultative group will also provide information and guidamce on the following through this website:
The group cannot answer enquiries about specific records or requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which should continue to be addressed to TNA or individual departments. If there is a particular area of guidance that you consider would be helpful, however, you may email the group at recordsgroup@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Summaries of Consultative Group meetings will be made available following acceptance of the minutes. The links below will take you to the archived version of these minutes.
Security Service Records Retention and Release Policy by Sir Stephen Lander, Director General Security Service (1996-2002).
Research Guide to Intelligence Records - An online guide to help you find and interpret the records you need for your research. The guide will highlight newly released records
Professor Christopher Andrew talks about espionage and tracking down enemy agents [External website] [27 February 2008]
Naional Intelligence Machinery
The National Intelligence Machinery booklet
Publication date: 4/1/2011
