Last updated: 09 December 2009
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 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 form historians and other researches of security and intelligence records and to respond where possible by:
The consultative group will help to answer these questions by providing information and guidance 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.
For information about the records of the security and intelligence agencies, see National Intelligence Machinery [PDF, 152KB, 42 pages].
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.
Security Service Records Retention and Release Policy by Sir Stephen Lander, Director General Security Service (1996-2002).
Professor Christopher Andrew talks about espionage and tracking down enemy agents [External website] [27 February 2008]
Security and Intelligence history [External website]