Catalogue description Central Intelligence Machinery

The evolution of Whitehall's central intelligence machinery can be traced back to the creation of the Industrial Intelligence in Foreign Countries Sub-Committee in 1929. This was subordinate to the Committee of Imperial Defence and was concerned with the collection, processing and dissemination of intelligence on industrial mobilization for war in foreign countries. The Sub-Committee was instrumental in the establishment of the Industrial Intelligence Centre (headed by Major Desmond Morton) in 1931.

In January 1936, the Committee of Imperial Defence approved the formation of the Inter-Service Intelligence Committee, which by July of that year evolved into the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee. Between July 1936 and August 1939, the Sub-Committee was composed of the deputy directors of intelligence of the three services, frequently with a representative from the Industrial Intelligence Centre and, from November 1938, with representation from the Foreign Office. Whilst the Joint Intelligence Sub-committee had inherited from the Inter-Service Intelligence Committee a remit which included both the preparation of reports and the co-ordination of the work of the intelligence staffs of the three services. In practice the Sub-Committee did not assume a proactive co-ordinating role and tended to react to specific requests for information from the Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Planners or the service intelligence staffs. On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Committee of Imperial Defence was dissolved but the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee continued in being throughout the War as one of the principal sub-committees of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Sub-Committee's Secretariat and the Joint Intelligence Staff (created in 1941) formed part of the Military Affairs component of the Offices of the War Cabinet.

Following the establishment of the Ministry of Defence in January 1947, responsibility for the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee was transferred to it, the Sub-Committee remaining subordinate to the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The title was amended in January 1948 to Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). In October 1957 the Prime Minister approved the return of the JIC to the Cabinet Office, under the authority of the Secretary of the Cabinet, reflecting the broadened scope and role of intelligence.

In 1968 the post of Intelligence Co-ordinator was created (first held by Sir Dick White) and an Assessments Staff was established in place of the Joint Intelligence Staff. The new Assessments Staff added economic intelligence to its responsibilities and the former Economic Intelligence Steering Committee of the Cabinet was redesignated JIC (B) under Treasury Chairmanship effective 1 April 1968. On the same day the previous JIC became JIC (A), retaining a Foreign Office (Foreign and Commonwealth Office from September 1968) Chairman.

The JIC(A)/JIC(B) split lasted until 1974. On 1 October 1974 JIC(A) reverted to the traditional JIC designation and the former responsibilities of JIC(B) passed to a new Overseas Economic Intelligence Committee.

The JIC Secretariat (later designated the Joint Intelligence Secretariat), the Assessments Staff (Joint Intelligence Staff until 1968), the Intelligence Coordinator and certain other supporting elements comprise the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO).

Following the 1983 Franks report on the Falklands War Chairmanship of the JIC passed from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Cabinet Office.