§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the purposes and objectives of the Security Service;
(2) if he will make it his practice to provide information on the annual expenditure by the Security Service;
(3) if he will now make it his practice to disclose the number of people employed by the Security Service.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make it his practice to provide detailed financial information on the expenditure of the Security Service.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe functions of the Security Service, as described in the Security Service Act 1989, are the protection of national security and the safeguarding of the United Kingdom's economic well being against threats posed by the actions or intentions of persons outside the British islands. I do not intend to depart from the practice adopted by successive Governments of not disclosing information about staffing, financial and other matters closely associated with the Security Service's operations which must necessarily remain secret.