Joint Intelligence Committee facts for kids
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| Committee overview | |
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| Formed | 1936 |
| Committee executive |
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| Parent department | Cabinet Office |
The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) is an important group in the British government. It works within the Cabinet Office, which helps the Prime Minister and other ministers. The JIC's main job is to oversee the UK's spy and security groups. It also gives advice to the government on important topics like national safety, military defence, and how the UK deals with other countries.
The JIC helps decide what the UK's intelligence and security agencies should focus on. These agencies include MI6, MI5, GCHQ, and Defence Intelligence.
Contents
How the JIC is Set Up
The JIC is led by a permanent chairman. This person is a senior member of the Civil Service, which means they work for the government. The chairman gets help from a special team called the Intelligence and Security Secretariat. They also have an assessment staff.
This assessment staff is made up of experienced experts. These experts come from different parts of the government and the military. They gather information from all sources to understand important topics for the committee. The reports they write use information from all the intelligence agencies and other related groups.
The JIC includes the leaders of the main intelligence agencies:
- The head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
- The head of the Security Service (MI5).
- The head of GCHQ.
- The Chief of Defence Intelligence.
- The Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence Staff.
- The Chief of the Assessment Staff.
- Representatives from the Ministry of Defence.
- Representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
- Other government departments.
- The Prime Minister's adviser on foreign affairs.
What the JIC Does
The JIC has three main jobs:
- It advises the Prime Minister and other government ministers. This advice helps them decide what intelligence to collect and how to understand it.
- It guides the work of the spy agencies. This includes the Secret Intelligence Service, GCHQ, the Security Service, and the Ministry of Defence. They follow the JIC's advice on what information to gather and analyze.
- It makes sure that all civilian intelligence staff in the British government meet high professional standards. This means their work is accurate and reliable.
UK's Security Goals
The JIC helps create a yearly plan for what intelligence agencies should focus on. This plan is approved by government ministers. These goals help protect the UK's national security:
- To keep the UK, its territories, and British citizens safe from threats. This includes dangers like terrorism and spying.
- To protect and promote Britain's defence and foreign policy interests. This means making sure the UK's military and international relationships are strong.
- To protect and improve the UK's economy.
- To help prevent and solve serious crimes.
History of the JIC
The JIC was started in 1936. It began as a small group within the Committee of Imperial Defence. This committee was in charge of planning the UK's defence at the time.
During World War II, the JIC became the most important group for intelligence in the UK. In 1957, the JIC moved to the Cabinet Office. Its assessment staff prepares important intelligence reports for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
The JIC's work is checked by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. It also gets support from the Joint Intelligence Organisation.
Working with Other Countries
Since World War II, the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in London has attended the JIC's weekly meetings. This shows how closely the UK and US intelligence agencies work together.
Intelligence leaders from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand may also attend meetings. They join when certain topics that affect their countries are being discussed.
