UK gets new ‘National Security Council’

The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has announced the establishment of a National Security Council (NSC), which will oversee all aspects of Britain’s security.

The Prime Minister has appointed Sir Peter Ricketts (Permanent Undersecretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) as his National Security Advisor, a new role based in the Cabinet Office. Sir Peter will establish the new National Security Council structures, and coordinate and deliver the Government’s international security agenda.

The Council will coordinate all arms of government contributing to national security, including resiliency and emergency planning.

The Council will be chaired by the Prime Minister. Permanent members will be the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary of State for International Development and the Security Minister.

Other Cabinet Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will attend as required. The Chief of the Defence Staff, Heads of Intelligence Agencies and other Senior Officials will also attend as required.

The inaugural meeting of the NSC was chaired on 12th May by the Prime Minister where the terrorist threat to the UK was reviewed, amongst other items.

•Date: 13th May 2010 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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