SPOOKS, SPIES AND SURVEILLANCE

"UK has 5,700 secret agents. Britain employs more than 2,200 spies to protect the country against terrorism and the threat from foreign enemies, it has been disclosed. It is the first time that the number of foreign intelligence gathering officers employed by MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service, has been published. The figure was disclosed yesterday in the annual report of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee. The ISC had previously disclosed the number of domestic security service officers who work for MI5, known as "spooks" - now around 3,500 - but had never done so for spies. MI6 has launched a new recruitment drive aimed, in part, at former City bankers, with experience of foreign countries and language skills. According to the ISC's report, there are now 2,252 MI6 officers and it aims to increase that to 2,527 this year." (Daily Telegraph, 18 March) RD