Intelligence and Security Committee : annual report 2002-2003

The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) was established under the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the UK's three intelligence and security agencies, namely the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

The ISC members are appointed by, and report directly to, the Prime Minister.

This report covers the period May 2002 to April 2003 which has seen increasing pressure on intelligence and security resources in the wake of the Al-Qaida attacks on September 11 2001, the Bali bombings in October 2002 and events in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other terrorist threats, the counter-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and anti-drugs work.