Formed 12 May 2010 | ||
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Committee executives Theresa May, Prime Minister(Chairman)Sir Mark Lyall Grant, National Security Advisor(Secretary) Website National Security Council | ||
The National Security Council (NSC) of the United Kingdom is a Cabinet Committee tasked with overseeing all issues related to national security, intelligence coordination, and defence strategy. The terms of reference of the National Security Council are to consider matters relating to national security, foreign policy, defence, international relations and international development, resilience, energy and resource security.
Contents
History
The NSC was established on 12 May 2010 by Prime Minister David Cameron. The Council will coordinate responses to threats faced by the United Kingdom and integrating at the highest level the work of relevant government entities with respect to national security. The United Kingdom National Security Adviser is secretary to the council.
From 1 April 2015 the council oversaw the newly created Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, a fund of more than £1 billion per year for tackling conflict and instability abroad.
Council Membership
As of October 2016, following Theresa May's 12 July appointment as prime minister, membership was:.
Other government ministers, senior officials, military and intelligence officers attend as necessary, some on a regular basis. The Chief of the Defence Staff represents the Chiefs of Staff Committee at the NSC, not individual Chiefs of each service. There are two subcommittees of the NSC, Nuclear Deterrence and Security and Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies. The Leader of the Opposition, has attended on an occasional basis.
Nuclear Deterrence and Security Subcommittee
The Nuclear Deterrence and Security Subcommittee is a restricted attendance subcommittee of the National Security Council with the terms of references to consider issues relating to nuclear deterrence and security.
Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies Subcommittee
The Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies Subcommittee is a subcommittee of the National Security Council with the terms of references to consider issues relating to terrorism and other security threats, hazards, resilience and intelligence policy and the performance and resources of the security and intelligence agencies; and report as necessary to the National Security Council.
When secret intelligence matters are discussed by the subcommittee there is restricted attendance to Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary of State for the Home Department, and Secretary of State for Defence.
National Security Secretariat
From July 2010, there were two Deputy National Security Advisers (DNSAs): Julian Miller for Foreign & Defence Policy and Oliver Robbins for Intelligence, Security & Resilience. By March 2013, Hugh Powell - previously a National Security Secretariat Director - had been promoted to a newly created third DNSA position. As of 6 November 2014, the three DNSAs were: Hugh Powell as DNSA (Foreign Policy), Julian Miller as DNSA (Defence, Nuclear and Strategy) and Paddy McGuinness as DNSA (Intelligence, Security & Resilience). As of 10 February 2015, Liane Saunders - previously the National Security Secretariat's Director for Foreign Policy and its Afghanistan/Pakistan Coordinator - was described as an Acting Deputy National Security Adviser (Conflict, Stability and Foreign Policy).
On 16 June 2016, the Cabinet Office released staff data, correct as of 31 March 2016, listing two current Deputy National Security Advisers: Paddy McGuinness (responsible for Intelligence, Security and Resilience) and Gwyn Jenkins (responsible for Conflict, Stability & Defence). Jenkins appears to have been in post since at least June 2015. Prior to becoming a deputy National Security Adviser, Jenkins was the military assistant to prime minister David Cameron.
As of early December 2014, the National Security Secretariat was staffed by 180 officials and comprises five directorates: Foreign & Defence Policy; the Civil Contingencies Secretariat; Security & Intelligence; the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance, and UK Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT UK).