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Intelligence and Security Committee Annual Report for 2008–09 (Cm 7807)

I am grateful to the noble Lord, particularly since I had anticipated his asking that question. I can confirm that we now have three investigators to augment the work of our secretariat. They provide us with expert legal and financial advice and investigative capacity, although I am disappointed to say—I hope that the Minister will reply—that the Cabinet Office is currently obstructing the progress of our general investigator, refusing to allow him to work during the election period, despite there being clear precedent for that. I hope that the Minister will be able to provide a more positive response than was available in the other place, so that our investigator can work during the recess and the election period and make available his report on vetting, which we have asked him to do, for the new committee when it takes over.