Security Service Act 1989
01 January 1991
Security Service Act 1989
actdoc July=1991
(NB. Marginal notes are in [...] immediately before the
section to which they refer)
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. The Security Service.
2. The Director-General.
3. Warrants.
4. The Security Service Commissioner.
5. Investigation of complaints.
6. Expenses.
7. Short title, commencement and extent.
SCHEDULES:
Schedule I-Investigation of Complaints.
Schedule 2-The Tribunal.
Security Service Act 1989
1989 CHAPTER 5
An Act to place the Security Service on a statutory basis;
to enable certain actions to be taken on the authority of
warrants issued by the Secretary of State, with provision
for the issue of such warrants to be kept under review by a
Commissioner; to establish a procedure for the
investigation. by a Tribunal or, in some cases, by the
Commissioner of complaints about the Service; and for
connected purposes. [27th April 1989]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and
with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
[The Security Service]
1.(1) There shall continue to be a Security Service (in
this Act referred to as "the Service") under the authority
of the Secretary of State.
(2) The function of the Service shall be the
protection of national security and, in particular, its
protection against threats from espionage, terrorism and
sabotage, from the activities of agents of foreign powers
and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine
parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent
means.
(3) It shall also be the function of the Service to
safeguard the economic well-being of the United Kingdom
against threats posed by the actions or intentions of
persons outside the British Islands.
[The Director-General]
2.-(1) The operations of the Service shall continue to
be under the control of a Director-General appointed by the
Secretary of State.
(2) The Director-General shall be responsible for the
efficiency of the Service and it shall be his duty to
ensure-
(a) that there are arrangements for securing that no
information is obtained by the Service except so far as
necessary for the proper discharge of its functions or
disclosed by it except so far as necessary for that
purpose or for the purpose of preventing or detecting
serious crime; and
(b) that the Service does not take any action to further
the interests of any political party.
(3) The arrangements mentioned in subsection (2)(a)
above shall be such as to ensure that information in the
possession of the Service is not disclosed for use in
determining whether a person should be employed, or continue
to be employed, by any person, or in any office or capacity,
except in accordance with provisions in that behalf approved
by the Secretary of State.
(4) The Director-General shall make an annual report
on the work of the Service to the Prime Minister and the
Secretary of State and may at any time report to either of
them on any matter relating to its work.
[Warrants]
3.-(1) No entry on or interference with property shall
be unlawful if it is authorised by a warrant issued by the
Secretary of State under this section.
(2) The Secretary of State may on an application made
by the Service issue a warrant under this section
authorising the taking of such action as is specified in the
warrant in respect of any property so specified if the
Secretary of State -
(a) thinks it necessary for the action to be taken in
order to obtain information which-
(i) is likely to be of substantial value in assisting
the Service to discharge any of its functions;
and
(ii) cannot<