| Abbreviation | ISC |
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| Formation | 1994 |
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| Purpose | Statutory Committee of Parliament responsible for oversight of the UK intelligence community |
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Chair | Julian Lewis |
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Parent organisation | UK Parliament |
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| Website | isc.independent.gov.uk |
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Formerly called | Intelligence and Security Committee |
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The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) is a group in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that is responsible for making sure that what the UK intelligence community does is allowed or okay.[1][2]
The Committee was created in 1994[3] by the Intelligence Services Act 1994, and they were given more power by the Justice and Security Act 2013.[1]
Structure
The ISC is not like other committees in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, being a statutory committee instead of a more common select committee. It was originally made under the Intelligence Services Act 1994.[4] The committee would later have what it does changed, and what it can do expanded by the Justice and Security Act 2013.
How independent it is has been, in the past, questioned by journalists and interest groups but the ISC says it is independent because it is made of MPs and peers from different parties and runs in a neutral manner.[5] The ISC got stronger power under the Justice and Security Act 2013 which also made it so that the Prime Minister didn't decide who was in the group anymore.[6]
References
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