MI6

For other uses, see MI-6 (disambiguation).
"British Secret Service" redirects here. For a generic list, see British intelligence agencies.
Not to be confused with MI5.

Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)

SIS Building, the headquarters of MI6 in London
Agency overview
Formed4 July 1909; 115 years ago (1909-07-04)
Preceding agency
TypeForeign intelligence service
JurisdictionHis Majesty's Government
HeadquartersSIS Building
London, England
United Kingdom
51°29′14″N 0°07′27″W / 51.48722°N 0.12417°W / 51.48722; -0.12417
MottoSemper Occultus ("Always Secret")
Employees3,644[1]
Annual budgetSingle Intelligence Account £3.711 billion (2021–22)[1]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Websitewww.sis.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligence on foreign nationals in support of its Five Eyes partners. SIS is one of the British intelligence agencies and the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service ("C") is directly accountable to the Foreign Secretary.[3]

Formed in 1909 as the foreign section of the Secret Service Bureau, the section grew greatly during the First World War officially adopting its current name around 1920.[4] The name "MI6" originated as a convenient label during the Second World War, when SIS was known by many names. It is still commonly used today.[4] The existence of SIS was not officially acknowledged until 1994.[5] That year the Intelligence Services Act 1994 (ISA) was introduced to Parliament, to place the organisation on a statutory footing for the first time. It provides the legal basis for its operations. Today, SIS is subject to public oversight by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.[6]

The stated priority roles of SIS are counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, providing intelligence in support of cyber security, and supporting stability overseas to disrupt terrorism and other criminal activities.[7] Unlike its main sister agencies, Security Service (MI5) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), SIS works exclusively in foreign intelligence gathering; the ISA allows it to carry out operations only against persons outside the British Islands.[8] Some of SIS's actions since the 2000s have attracted significant controversy, such as its alleged complicity in acts of enhanced interrogation techniques and extraordinary rendition.[9][10]

Since 1994, SIS headquarters have been in the SIS Building in London, on the South Bank of the River Thames.[11]

  1. ^ a b "Annual Report 2021–2022" (PDF), Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
  2. ^ "The Chief". SIS – MI6. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  3. ^ Whitehead, Jennifer (15 July 2016). "Our mission". SIS. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  4. ^ a b "1920: What's in a Name". SIS. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. ^ Whitehead, Jennifer (13 October 2005). "MI6 to boost recruitment prospects with launch of first website". Brand Republic. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  6. ^ "The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament". ISC. Parliament. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. ^ Whitehead 2016.
  8. ^ "Intelligence Services Act 1994: Section 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 13 (s. 1)
  9. ^ Foster, Peter (5 April 2014). "Tony Blair 'knew all about CIA secret kidnap programme'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  10. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (1 June 2016). "Public need answers in 'shocking' MI6 rendition scandal, says senior Tory". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Queen visits Mi6.", The Times, London, 15 July 1994, p. 2