CounterterrorismU.K. increases intelligence agencies’ budget to counter terror threat
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will today announce the government’s spending plans for FY 2015-16. The U.K. agencies responsible for fighting terrorism — MI6, MI5, and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) — will see a significant increase in their combined £1.9 billion budget, an indication of the David Cameron government’s concern about the growing terrorism threat the United Kingdom.
The U.K. agencies responsible for fighting terrorism — MI6, MI5, and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) — will see a significant increase in their combined £1.9 billion budget, an indication of the David Cameron government’s concern about the growing terrorism threat the United Kingdom.
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will today announce the government’s spending plans for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
In addition to increasing the budget of the intelligence services, the budget also shows that police spending on counterterrorism will be protected and will rise in line with inflation.
The Telegraph reports that the percentage increase in the budgets of the intelligence agencies — more than 3 percent in addition to inflation — will be the largest of any item of government spending including the NHS, schools, and international development.
The Spending Review will cut a further £11.5 billion in public expenditure.
The Ministry of Defense will see its budget cut by about £1 billion, although the cuts will not lead to further reductions in front-line troops.
Osborne’s office release the text of the speech is going to deliver in parliament today, in which he will say:
“Britain is moving from rescue to recovery. But while the British economy is leaving intensive care, now we need to secure that recovery.
“We’re saving money on welfare and waste to invest in the roads and railways, schooling and science our economy needs to succeed in the future.”
The Telegraph notes that the chancellor is understood to have contacted the heads of the three agencies last Friday to inform them of their spending increases. MI5, MI6, and GCHQ have seen their budgets fall in real terms by more than 10 percent since 2010 and there were fears that they would face a further round of cuts.
A Whitehall source said: “This has been one of George’s personal priorities. It is vitally important we look after these budgets and they were settled last week with agreement at the very highest level.”
Osborne and the Prime Minister Cameron have said the agencies need more resources to tackle the growing terrorist threat from sub-Saharan Africa and Syria, and the rising problem posed by cyber terrorism.
