MI5
Government & Politics abbreviation · UK Government
| Stands for | Security Service |
|---|---|
| Categories | Government & Politics |
MI5 stands for Security Service, a UK government abbreviation.
UK domestic intelligence and security agency, responsible for countering terrorism, espionage and threats to national security inside the country. It reports to the Home Secretary and is headquartered at Thames House in London.
Example: MI5 said it had disrupted dozens of late-stage attack plots in recent years.
Usage notes
It originated in 1909 as the home section of the Secret Service Bureau; the name MI5 comes from its later designation as Military Intelligence, Section 5. It was placed on a statutory basis by the Security Service Act 1989. Its head is the Director General, and its officers have no powers of arrest.
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