Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason is the MI5, MI6 and GCHQ Summer Intelligence Internship only open to Black, Asian and ethnic minority applicants.

The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) runs a number of internships and placement schemes. They are designed to provide insight about what it is like to work in UKIC.

The eligibility criteria for specific internship schemes in UKIC are made publicly available on agency websites at the time when they are advertised. Any internship participant wishing to subsequently apply for employment with UKIC or the Civil Service is required to take part in fair and open competition, with selection based on merit.