Draft Report [Accountability of the Security Service], proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.

Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 3 read and agreed to.

Paragraph 3 read as follows:

"In 1992, emboldened perhaps by the spirit of glasnost that prevailed elsewhere in the world, the then Home Affairs Committee asked the Home Secretary at the time, the Rt Hon Kenneth Clark MP, if it might take evidence from the then Director-General of the Security Service, Mrs Stella Rimington, whose responsibilities—theoretically at least—came within the Committee's remit. The answer was a firm 'no'. Only when it was pointed out that Mrs Rimington was already dining with certain favoured journalists did the Home Secretary relent. A private lunch was arranged at the Security Service headquarters between Mrs Rimington and six members of the Committee. The Committee, however, took the view that a free lunch was no substitute for proper parliamentary scrutiny. In January 1993 it published a report concluding that the Security Service should be made subject to the normal departmental select committee structure. The Government rejected this recommendation; the Committee, said the Government, had paid "insufficient regard to the unique nature of the Security Service and to the personal nature of the Director-General's accountability to the Home Secretary". The Government did, however, concede that the matter would be kept under review."

An amendment proposed, in line 8, to leave out "free".— (Mr David Winnick.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.

Paragraph agreed to.

Paragraphs 4 to 40 read and agreed to.

Paragraph 41 read.

Question put, That the paragraph stand part of the Report.

The Committee divided.

Paragraphs 42 to 46 read and agreed to.

Paragraph 47 read.

Question put, That the paragraph stand part of the Report.

The Committee divided.

Paragraph 48 read.

Question put, That the paragraph stand part of the Report.

The Committee divided.

Motion made, and Question put, That the Report be the Third Report of the Committee to the House.

The Committee divided.

Ayes, 6   Noes, 3

Mr Robin Corbett  Mr Nick Hawkins

Mrs Janet Dean  Mr Gerald Howarth

Mr Martin Linton  Mr Humfrey Malins

Bob Russell

Mr Paul Stinchcombe

Mr David Winnick

Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House.

Ordered, That the provisions of Standing Order No. 134 (Select committees (reports)) be applied to the Report.

Several papers were ordered to be appended to the Minutes of Evidence.

Ordered, That the Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee be reported to the House.—(The Chairman.)

  [Adjourned till Tuesday 22nd June at quarter past Ten o'clock.