My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am grateful to the Intelligence and Security Committee for its valuable work and its latest annual report (Cm 7299). Following consultation with the committee over matters that could not be published without prejudicing the work of the intelligence and security agencies, I have today laid the report before the House. I have also laid before the House today the Government’s response to this report (Cm7300).

Copies of the report and the response have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

In addition, following appropriate consultation and in accordance with Section 10 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994, I have appointed my right honourable friend the Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett) as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. I am grateful to my right honourable friend the Member for Torfaen (Paul Murphy) for his distinguished leadership of the committee in providing effective and independent parliamentary oversight of the work of the security and intelligence agencies.