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Executive Officer

HEADQUARTERS
DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY CENTRE
Chicksands, SHEFFORD,
Bedfordshire, SG17 5PR.

Our Reference: 08-04-2008-154155-003 Miller

Dr D Miller
Department of Geography and Sociology
University of Strathclyde
Graham Hills Building
50 Richmond Street
GLASGOW
G1 1XN 25 April 2008

Dear Dr Miller

Thank you for your e-mail of 8 Apr 2008 in which you requested copies of particular
identified documents relating to the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre (DISC) at
Chicksands, Bedfordshire, and also posed some additional questions relating to entities
that you had listed.

I will deal with each of the items in turn:

1. Copies of the DISC Framework Document and Corporate Plan as referred to by


Nicholas Soames in the House on 15 Oct 1996.

a. With reference to s.21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), I would
like to inform you that both of these documents are confirmed as being held in the House
of Lords Library under the reference House of Commons (HOC) Deposited Paper
Number 3941. Please contact the House of Lords Library, ask to speak with Ms Annie
Pinder and inform her that Ms Elizabeth Engeli at the HOC has both documents in her
possession. You will be able to purchase copies of both documents.

2. Copies of all reports and accounts for DISC since its creation with the exception
of those already accessible on the internet (ie that for the year to 31 March 2005).

a. DISC took on Agency status on 1 October 1996 and, as part of this arrangement,
was required to publish an Annual Report and associated accounts for each financial
year. The first Annual Report was produced to cover the period to March 1999, as prior
to this date the organization was still being formed.

b. I enclose copies of the first two reports (covering the period to March 1999 and to
March 2000).

c. DISC ceased being an Agency in April 2005 and was no longer required to
produce either an Annual Report or an individual record of accounts. The Reports and
Accounts for the intervening period (April 2000 to April 2005) are all available on the
internet at www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore under the following references:

1) Report to March 2001


HOC Reference 2001-02 584
Published 01.08.02
ISBN 13: 9780102916751

2) Report to March 2002


HOC Reference 2002-03 178
Published 09.04.03
ISBN 13: 9780102921137

3) Report to March 2003


HOC Reference 2002-03 1167
Published 23.01.04
ISBN 13: 9780102923872

4) Report to March 2004


HOC Reference 2003-04 864
Published 27.10.04
ISBN 13: 9780102930405

5) Report to March 2005


HOC Reference 319 2005-06
Published 07.02.06
ISBN 13: 9780102935486

3. A copy of the organizational map of the occupants of the military base at


Chicksands.

a. The organizations located at Chicksands are:

1) Defence Intelligence and Security Centre.

2) Intelligence Corps.

3) Headquarters 1 Military Intelligence Brigade (1 MI Bde).

4) Resistance Training Wing.

5) 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group.

6) 215 Military Intelligence Section.

b. These organizations are not directly related to each other and come under the
Command of other organizations that are located elsewhere. Therefore, due to the lack
of inter-relation, no organizational map is required.

4. Confirmation of: whether the following units/entities ever existed; the relevant
dates of creation and abolition; the names of their successor units or divisions; whether
they are or were housed at Chicksands; the relationship between these organizations
and the name and rank of the officer currently commanding. The listed entities were:

a. Special Intelligence Wing


b. Force Research Unit/Joint Support Group/Joint Services Group
c. Joint Services School of Intelligence
d. Joint Services Intelligence Organization
e. Weapons Intelligence Unit
f. Special Reconnaissance Regiment

5. Did the following Units ever exist?

4a. Yes.
4b. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) can neither confirm nor deny that it holds
the information you requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not
apply by virtue of sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be
taken as evidence that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4c. No record has been located of this entity.
4d. Yes.
4e. Yes.
4f. Yes.

6. Relevant dates of creation & abolition?

4a. Probably created in the 1980s, this wing is believed to have developed
into the Signal Intelligence Wing that is a part of DISC.
4b. The MoD can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not apply by virtue of
sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be taken as evidence
that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4d. Probably created in the late 1990s and ceased to exist in late 2005-early
2006 when it was fully subsumed into DISC.
4e. Created in 1980s and remained in existence until it was subsumed into 1
MI Bde in 2007.
4f. Created on 6 Apr 2005 and still in existence (see MoD website and
Hansard).

7. Names of successor units?

4a. No successor unit, this training wing remains a part of DISC.


4b. The MoD can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not apply by virtue of
sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be taken as evidence
that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4d. No successor unit, this training organization remains a part of DISC.
4e. Remains in existence under the Command of 1 MI Bde. There is no
successor unit
4f. Nil, this unit remains in existence.
8. Are they now or have they ever been housed at Chicksands?

4a. Probably, no (unable to clarify as the exact date of cessation is not


known).
4b. The MoD can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not apply by virtue of
sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be taken as evidence
that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4d. Yes.
4e. No.
4f. No.

9. Relationship between organizations?

4a. Related to 4d, in that it is a training wing that is a part of DISC.


4b. The MoD can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not apply by virtue of
sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be taken as evidence
that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4d. Related to 4a, in that it is a training wing that is a part of DISC.
4e. No relationship with the other units listed at 4a, 4d or 4f.
4f. No relationship (information is available on MoD website).

10. Name & rank of the Commanding Officer of each of the entities?

4a. This training wing does not have a Commanding Officer as it is a part of
the DISC.
4b. The MoD can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you
requested because the duty in s.1(1)(a) of the FOIA does not apply by virtue of
sections 23 & 26(1)(b)(defence). However, this should not be taken as evidence
that the information you requested does or does not exist.
4d. This training wing does not have a Commanding Officer as it is a part of
the DISC.
4e. This section does not have a Commanding Officer as it is a part of 1 MI
Bde.
4f. The names of the individuals are exempt from disclosure under sections
38(1)b and 40(1) of the FOIA on the grounds that the release of the information
would prejudice the security of the individual. Furthermore, the exemption at
section 40(1) is an absolute exemption under the provisions of the FOIA because
it concerns personal data relating to a serving soldier, which in itself is subject to
separate legislation provided for by the Data Protection Act 1998.

11. If you are unhappy with any of the content of this response,
or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of
your request, then you should contact me in the first
instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are
dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal
review by contacting the Director of Information Exploitation,
6th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB. Please
note that any request for an internal review must be made
within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to
reach informal resolution has come to an end.

12. If you are still unhappy following an internal review, you may take your complaint
to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the FOIA. Please
note that the Information Commissioner will not normally investigate your case until the
MoD internal review process has been completed. Further details of the role and
powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner’s website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk .

Yours sincerely,

{signed electronically}

Alison Hygate
DISC ExO

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