CABINET OFFICE
189/99
13 September 1999
INTELLIGENCE AND
SECURITY COMMITTEE
THE INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY
COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE
HANDLING OF
MITROKHIN ARCHIVE
The Rt. Hon. Tom King CH MP, Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, made the following statement this afternoon:
"I welcome the Home Secretary's invitation to the Committee to examine the policies and procedures adopted within the agencies for the handling of the Mitrokhin archive."
Mr Tom King stated that the Committee's investigation would cover all aspects of the handling of the archive. The investigation would be wide ranging and the Committee would be questioning the intelligence and security agencies and government departments involved.
The Committee would carry out the investigation under its statutory powers, so that the facts surrounding the handling of this important material are established. It would comment on the appropriateness of those actions, identify any lessons that could be learnt and produce the fullest possible report on this matter which has attracted such considerable public interest.
The Committee will now be forwarding a detailed questionnaire to the agencies and departments involved. In the light of these responses the Committee then anticipates that it will take oral evidence. The Committee would subsequently report to the Prime Minister with their conclusions and recommendations. The Home Secretary has stated that as much as possible of the Committee's report will be published.
NOTE FOR EDITORS
The Committee's members are:
- The Rt. Hon. Tom King, CH, MP (Chairman)
- The Rt. Hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell, QC
- Kevin Barron, MP
- The Rt. Hon. Alan Beith, MP
- Dale Campbell-Savours, MP
- Yvette Cooper, MP
- The Rt. Hon. Barry Jones, MP
- Michael Mates, MP
- Allan Rogers, MP
Issued on behalf of the
Intelligence and Security Committee by:
Cabinet Office
Press Office
70 Whitehall
LONDON
SW1A 2AS
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