Home Office to take over UK counter-terror work abroad

The UK’s counter terrorism and liaison work overseas is expected to be taken over by the Home Office in a large-scale security policy shake-up.

The move follows the terrorist attack in Brussels which killed 35 people including British citizen David Dixon.

It was reported in the Financial Times that there is concern among security chiefs as to whether the Foreign Office is running counter-terror liaison effectively. It maintained that giving authority to the Home Office will aim to share British practices abroad and improve ‘upstream’ intelligence about the capabilities of and threats to other nations.

The paper claimed the move would consist of a 50 strong ‘joint counter-terrorism unit’ run by Jane Marriott, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign Office. Members of the Foreign Office's existing counter terror team will take up many of the new roles, and will work with MI5 and MI6, reporting to both the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.

In an interview with the Financial Times, a government spokesperson said: “The unit will bring together expertise from within the Home Office and Foreign Office to tackle international counter terrorism in a co-ordinated and effective manner.”