The National Security Council (NSC) of the United Kingdom is a Cabinet Committee tasked with overseeing all issues related to national security, intelligence coordination, and defence strategy. The NSC was established on 12 May 2010 by Prime Minister David Cameron. The Council will coordinate responses to threats faced by the United Kingdom and integrating at the highest level the work of relevant government entities with respect to national security.[1]
Contents |
The NSC's members are as follows:
| Officeholder | Office(s) |
|---|---|
| David Cameron MP |
|
| Nick Clegg MP |
|
| William Hague MP | |
| George Osborne MP | |
| Theresa May MP | |
| Philip Hammond MP | |
| Chris Huhne MP | |
| Andrew Mitchell MP | |
| Oliver Letwin MP | |
| James Brokenshire MP |
In addition, other government ministers, senior officials, military and intelligence officers, and civil servants will attend as necessary. There are two subcommittees of the NSC,[3] Nuclear Deterrence and Security and Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies.
The Council's structures will be formulated by the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser (NSA). The first National Security Adviser of the United Kingdom is Sir Peter Ricketts,[4] who was previously Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. The National Security Adviser is a Civil Service position based in the Cabinet Office and heads up a team called the National Security Secretariat.
There are two Deputy National Security Advisers, one for Foreign Policy and the other for Intelligence Security & Resilience.[4]