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| GCHQ 'disrupted' in summer floods | GCHQ 'disrupted' in summer floods |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The UK's secret electronic intelligence agency GCHQ experienced "significant disruption" because of the floods last summer, a report has said. | 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. | Meanwhile, Margaret Beckett has taken over as chairman of the committee. |
| 'Significant disruption' | '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 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." | The committee said in its annual report: "The summer floods in the Gloucestershire region caused significant disruption to GCHQ and its staff." |
| We are concerned that aspects of key intelligence and security work are suffering John ScarlettHead of MI6 href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7215925.stm">Focus 'hits security work' | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
| The government responded to the report by saying GCHQ had identified what lessons were learned to try to improve the way it would deal with future crises. | The government responded to the report by saying GCHQ had identified what lessons were learned to try to improve the way it would deal with future crises. |
| 'Very angry' | 'Very angry' |
| The committee also said counter-terrorism work was adversely affecting other activities of the security services. | The committee also said counter-terrorism work was adversely affecting other activities of the security services. |
| John Scarlett, the head of MI6, said the terror effort made up 56% of its work. | John Scarlett, the head of MI6, said the terror effort made up 56% of its work. |
| The committee said: "We are concerned that aspects of key intelligence and security work are suffering as a consequence of the focus on counter-terrorism priorities. | The committee said: "We are concerned that aspects of key intelligence and security work are suffering as a consequence of the focus on counter-terrorism priorities. |
| "We believe consideration may need to be given to separate additional funding to maintain the agencies' capabilities in these areas." | "We believe consideration may need to be given to separate additional funding to maintain the agencies' capabilities in these areas." |
| The committee urged a review of the DA-Notice system of advising the media on stories involving national security. | The committee urged a review of the DA-Notice system of advising the media on stories involving national security. |
| Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, told the committee she had been "very, very angry" that an operation to arrest suspects in an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier was reported while it was ongoing. | Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, told the committee she had been "very, very angry" that an operation to arrest suspects in an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier was reported while it was ongoing. |
| "My officers and the police were jeopardised by them being on operations when the story broke," she said. | "My officers and the police were jeopardised by them being on operations when the story broke," she said. |
| "The strategy of the police for interrogating those arrested was blown out of the water, and my staff felt pretty depressed about the fact that this had happened." | "The strategy of the police for interrogating those arrested was blown out of the water, and my staff felt pretty depressed about the fact that this had happened." |