Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK launches new Military Intelligence Services as hostile threats surge, published on 12 December 2025, who will lead the Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit.

The Defence Counter Intelligence Unit (DCIU) will develop in maturity to meet the threat that Defence faces, and it is planned to be fully operational in 2027. The establishment of the DCIU is being delivered within existing resources. The DCIU will be part of Defence Intelligence, and led by an appropriate member of the Senior Civil Service or Military Equivalent.