Home Business News Security services to be given more powers to combat threat of spies

Security services to be given more powers to combat threat of spies

22nd Jul 20 11:46 am

The British government are to introduce new powers to provide the UK’s security services with more powers and to “clamp down” on the activity of hostile states.

This comes after the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report was published on Tuesday, and will provide UK spy agencies with the “tools they need” to disrupt foreign hostile action.

Andrew Parker the former MI5 director previously told the committee that due to the gaps in the UK laws, it meant that it was “not an offence in any sense to be a covert agent of the Russian intelligence services.”

It would only be an offence if a foreign spy had actually acquired “damaging secrets and give them to your [their]masters.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “We want to be able to look at the activities, clamp down on the activities of hostile states which threaten the UK.

“But no individual power on its own is going to resolve that. It’s another tool in the armoury but it’s not going to be the only solution.

“We do have very broad powers in existence already for our intelligence and security agencies.”

Shapps added, “What that does is make it easier if someone is then found and they have failed to register to, for example, extradite them.”

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