Airstrip One

Homeland Security

Sir David Omand, former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office and a former Head of GCHQ, has been appointed the Intelligence and Security Co-Ordinator at No. 10. His role is as follows,

He will co-ordinate security, intelligence and consequence management matters and to deal with risks and major emergencies should they arise. Sir David will also act as Accounting Officer and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office.

There is no greater indication of the emphasis that Blair places upon intelligence and the possibility of terrorist attack. The Civil Servant in charge of his own [Prime Minister's] department is a member of the JIC and is gearing up for the management of emergencies and risks by coordinating the work of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. His appointment follows a critical report from the parliamentary intelligence and security committee.

This also mirrors, in an understated way, the office of Homeland Security in the United States. The 'war on terror' is beginning to acquire an air of permanence in the corridors of Whitehall as the paradigm for intelligence gathering, with a role directly at the heart of government.