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GCHQ 'disrupted' in summer floods | GCHQ 'disrupted' in summer floods |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The UK's secret electronic intelligence agency GCHQ experienced "significant disruption" because of the floods last summer, a report has said. | |
Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said the Gloucestershire floods caused "severe problems". | Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said the Gloucestershire floods caused "severe problems". |
GCHQ kept its most important operations going - but the committee said the disruption could have been more severe if the flooding had worsened. | GCHQ kept its most important operations going - but the committee said the disruption could have been more severe if the flooding had worsened. |
Meanwhile, Margaret Beckett has taken over as chairman of the committee. | |
'Significant disruption' | |
The former foreign secretary replaces Paul Murphy who joined the cabinet as Welsh secretary in the reshuffle following Peter Hain's resignation from the government. | |
The committee said in its annual report: "The summer floods in the Gloucestershire region caused significant disruption to GCHQ and its staff." | |
Staff and management at the agency were commended for their "tenacity and dedication" during the "difficult period". | Staff and management at the agency were commended for their "tenacity and dedication" during the "difficult period". |
The report says "business continuity arrangements" at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ will be reviewed. | |
Although GCHQ, which is based near Cheltenham, was near Walham electricity sub-station which nearly flooded, officials said operations would have continued using back-up generators. |