1. The National Security Council (UK): a briefing on its creation, impact & future
Dr Joe Devanny

2. Five questions •. What is the National Security Council. •
Five questions • What is the National Security Council? • How does it work? • Why was it created? • What impact has it had? • What are its future prospects?

3. • NSC terms of reference • NSC membership • NSC support structures
What is the National Security Council (NSC)?
• NSC terms of reference • NSC membership • NSC support structures

4. NSC terms of reference “To consider matters relating to National Security, Foreign Policy, Defence, International Relations and Development, Resilience, Energy and Resource Security.” (Source: ‘Cabinet Committee Membership Lists’, Cabinet Office, December 2014)

5. NSC membership (ministerial) •. Prime Minister (chair) •
NSC membership (ministerial) • Prime Minister (chair) • Deputy Prime Minister • First Secretary of State • Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs • Chancellor of the Exchequer • Secretary of State for Home Department • Secretary of State for Defence • Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change • Secretary of State for International Development • Chief Secretary to the Treasury • Minister for Government Policy
Eleven members: relatively stable over five years, changes with resignations and reshuffles; “hat wearing” – portfolio, broader role in party, party balancing in coalition.
Officials also attend regularly: NSA, JIC Chairman, Cabinet Secretary, C, DG SyS; D/GCHQ, CDS, PUS FCO

6. NSC attendees (official) •. National Security Adviser •
NSC attendees (official) • National Security Adviser • Secretary of the Cabinet • Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) • Permanent Under Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office • Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) • Director General of the Security Service (SyS/Mi5) • Director, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) • Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS)
Eleven members: relatively stable over five years, changes with resignations and reshuffles; “hat wearing” – portfolio, broader role in party, party balancing in coalition.
Officials also attend regularly: NSA, JIC Chairman, Cabinet Secretary, C, DG SyS; D/GCHQ, CDS, PUS FCO

7. NSC Support Structures National Security Adviser (NSA)
Sir Kim Darroch
Source:
New role: amalgamates responsibilities from several previous posts: Intelligence and Security Coordinator, Foreign Policy Adviser, Secretary of the Cabinet.

8. NSC Support Structures National Security Secretariat
New role: amalgamates responsibilities from several previous posts: Intelligence and Security Coordinator, Foreign Policy Adviser, Secretary of the Cabinet.

9. How does it work. •. Weekly meetings when Parliament is in session •
How does it work? • Weekly meetings when Parliament is in session • Meets for one hour, takes two papers • “Flanking” committees of officials • Work-flow is responsibility of NSA

10. Why was it created? Criticism of ‘sofa’ government
Collective, coordinated decisions
Other reasons too: Increasingly centralised decision making, but lag time with central capacity to support prime ministerial and wider Cabinet decisions; plethora of NS-related senior advisers, need to streamline and improve lines of accountability.

11. What impact has it had? • Operation Ellamy: the NSC and Libya
• Accessible and transparent decisions
• Uplift in central capacity

12. What are its future prospects?
General Election...

13. Conclusions • Prime Ministerial commitment
• Inter-departmental cooperation
• Credible and effective NSA
• Capable and skilled Secretariat