Foreign Secretary announces intelligence changes

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has announced plans to improve government use of intelligence, following the failings in the run-up to the war in Iraq.

The reforms follow the publication of Lord Butler's review last July, which criticised the government's intelligence on Iraq.

In a written statement to the House of Commons, Mr Straw said that a "considerable amount" had been done to implement the conclusions in the Butler Review. He said that the Secret Intelligence Service had improved evaluation and the quality of intelligence reporting through the development of new procedures, as well as additional funding. Work had also taken place to ensure that consistent standardised terminology were used in source descriptions in reports across the intelligence community, the Foreign Secretary said.

Mr Straw also confirmed that the processes of the Joint Intelligence Committee, which advises the government on intelligence findings and compiled the dossier on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, had been reviewed and "tightened up". He added that a confidential guide, containing information on intelligence limitations, had been produced and distributed to readers of intelligence reports.

The Foreign Secretary announced that the new reforms would include a new post – Professional Head of Intelligence Analysis. They would advise on analytical capability and methodology in the security, defence and foreign affairs fields and analyst recruitment and training.

The Assessments Staff, which analyses the work of the intelligence services for ministers, will also be expanded by a third. The Foreign Secretary said that this would enable it to conduct more internal reviews and carry out more resource work on countries at risk of instability, as well as increase the production of warring papers highlighting significant threats and other security issues.

Mr Straw said that the implementation of these measures had been given "high priority".

The Foreign Secretary concluded: "Lord Butler’s review has contributed greatly to the process underway to fit the UK’s intelligence community for the future. The Government recognised the need to move substantially to implement its conclusions and has done so."

(KMcA/SP)