ANGUS Robertson, the Nationalist leader at Westminster, is to become a member of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee(ISC); believed to be the party's first representative on the high-powered committee.
The appointment of the MP for Moray is set to be confirmed following a debate in the House of Commons his afternoon.
It has been suggested some within the Conservative Government had qualms about Mr Robertson's appointment, given the SNP's visceral opposition to Britain's nuclear deterrent, but because of the Nationalists' increased number of MPs, making the SNP Westminster's third party, then there was no doubt that it had to have representation on one of the UK Parliament's most influential bodies.
After the General Election result when senior SNP sources told The Herald that the party would expect representation on all Commons committees, including he ISC, Tory backbencher Bob Neill at he time stressed how this could cause alarm among some parliamentarians.
"I can understand why some people might have misgivings about a party that has a fundamental disagreement on our defence policy, Trident, being on the ISC," said the Conservative Vice-Chairman.
But an SNP insider made clear the party had a clear right to be on the ISC, noting how Mr Robertson had been one of Parliament's longest-serving defence and foreign affairs spokesmen.
ISC members are subject to the Official Secrets Act and have access to highly classified material, taking evidence from Cabinet Ministers and senior officials.
One of its first tasks in the new parliament is expected be to examine the UK Government's controversial use of drones to kill British jihadists in Syria.
Other politicians also set to be confirmed as ISC members are Tories Sir Alan Duncan, Dominic Grieve and Keith Simpson as well as Labour's George Howarth Fiona Mactaggart and Gisela Stuart.
Previously, ISC members were appointed by the Prime Minister but are now appointed by MPS and they report directly to the UK Parliament. The Committee can also make reports to the PM on matters which are national security sensitive.
The ISC was established by the 1994 Intelligence Services Act 1994 to examine the policy, administration and expenditure of the Security Service, Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters.
In 2013, the Justice and Security Act reformed the IS, making it a Committee of Parliament; providing greater powers and increasing its remit, including oversight of operational activity and the wider intelligence and security activities of Government.
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