‘Slow progress’ on vow to hire 1,900 new spies
THE Government was accused yesterday of making “disappointing” progress towards hiring more than 1,900 new spies it promised to recruit to protect Britain from terrorists.
But Whitehall insisted it was on track in its programme to hire and train the extra security and intelligence staff by the target year of 2020-21.
It defended progress after official figures showed MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are likely to be some 400 short of the target by the time of the next planned general election in 2020, four years from now.
And spy chiefs admit they have had to revamp pay and perks deals to attract and keep the right people.
The pledge to recruit more than 1,900 staff was made last November by David Cameron after terror attacks in Paris killed 129 people and a Russian passenger plane was bombed over Egypt.
The five-year investment plan was billed at the time as the biggest increase in British security spending since the 7/7 London bombings.
The latest Financial Statement from the Security and Intelligence Agencies forecasts that “full-time equivalent” staff numbers will rise by 1,514 – from 12,669 in 2015-16 to 14,183 in 2019-20.
In his introductory statement on the 2015-16 accounts, Sir Mark Lyall-Grant, the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser and the man in charge of funding for Britain’s spies, said staffing was a key risk facing the agencies. He said: “Plans have been put in place during this financial year to mitigate some of the risks.
“These include pay and reward reforms with the aim of reducing recruitment and retention issues.”
Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson said: “In the wake of the Paris attacks, the Government was very clear about the need to hire an extra 1,900 security and intelligence staff to deal with increasing terrorist threats.
“So it is disappointing to learn that they will only recruit an additional 1,500 by the end of this Parliament.
“The public will want assurances that the security services are adequately resourced to cope with a growing number of terrorist, cyber and other threats.”
A Government spokesman said: “It is absolutely wrong to suggest we are dragging our feet on recruiting new personnel into the security services.
“We are right on track to meet our targets. Britain’s security services are the finest in the world and work tirelessly to protect us.
“We need to make sure they stay one step ahead of those who would do us harm.
“That’s why we are investing an extra £2.5billion over the next five years.”
Meanwhile European counter-terror chiefs have promised to maintain intelligence sharing with Britain following the Brexit vote, Security Minister Ben Wallace told MPs yesterday in a written Commons reply.
FEARS have been raised that the Government will fail to meet its pledge to increase the number of British spies protecting the country from terrorists. No doubt recruiting for these roles has its difficulties but this is an urgent requirement that must be fulfilled. Faced with an immediate terror threat we cannot afford to drag our feet.
Protecting its citizens is the Government’s first duty. Failing to guard properly against terror attacks is a dereliction of that duty. The possible consequences of leaving our security services understaffed are too appalling to contemplate.