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Defence Intelligence Staff

Answer

The Government's response to the Butler Review was presented to Parliament in March 2005 (Cm 6492) and its response to the recommendations regarding the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) is in Chapter 7.Lord Butler recommended that the relevant work of the DIS should be more closely integrated with the rest of the intelligence community. The DIS is now fully integrated into the central intelligence requirements and priorities process, although with the acknowledgement that the Ministry of Defence remains ultimately responsible for providing the DIS with its direction.Lord Butler recommended that consideration should be given to the provision of proper channels for the expression of dissent within the DIS. As the Government response indicated, the MOD had already introduced new arrangements for raising issues of conscience and professional concern, including dissent, in order to address (inter alia) the concerns expressed by Lord Butler. The procedure for handling matters of conscience or professional concern was promulgated to staff in a standing instruction in March 2005.Lord Butler recommended that in future the Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence should be an intelligence specialist. The MOD recognises the advantage of appointing an intelligence specialist to this role, but as the post requires a wider skills base, increased staff development effort, including a leadership programme for members of the DIS, has been introduced and will enable more personnel with intelligence experience to be considered for the post.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

447 c1083W; 76409

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Defence Intelligence and Security Centre

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk