Asked by: Lord Bishop of Salisbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 29 June (HL6029) and the remarks by the Home Secretary on 22 June that “appointments to the [Intelligence and Security] Committee are taking place and an announcement will be made in due course on when that will be coming forward” (HC Deb, col 1085), when they estimate they will be able to make the announcement about the appointment of the Intelligence and Security Committee; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the Committee is (1) appointed before Parliament adjourns for the summer recess, and (2) able to publish the report Russia, sent to the Prime Minister on 17 October 2019. [T]
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Intelligence and Security Committee was reconstituted on 14 July 2020.
The report is the property of the Committee, not the Government, and it will be up to them to choose when they wish to publish it. I am sure the Committee will take note of the Rt. Reverend Prelate’s interest in the publication of the Report.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Salisbury (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate the publication of the redacted report of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Russia, sent to the Prime Minister on 17 October 2019. [T]
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
In line with his responsibilities in the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Prime Minister carefully considered and approved the report, and is content that its publication would not prejudice the functions of those bodies that safeguard our national security.
We acknowledge the public’s interest in the publication of the report, however - as the Government has repeatedly made clear - the report itself is the property of the independent Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament and as such it is not for the Government to publish ISC reports; it is for the ISC to lay them before Parliament. Once a new Committee has been established, it will be up to them to choose when they wish to publish it. An announcement on the new Committee will be made in due course.