HC Deb 09 May 1984 vol 59 c392W
Mr. Cohen

asked the Prime Minister whether she gives any formal standing instructions to MI5 as to how it should carry out its operations.

The Prime Minister

The security service operates under the directive issued to its Director-General on 24 September 1952 by the then Home Secretary, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe. The directive was published in paragraph 238 of Lord Denning's report—September 1963, Cmnd 2152.