The Spectator

Barometer | 6 November 2010

Secret history John Sawers, head of MI6, defended the organisation by saying ‘secrecy is not a dirty word’.

issue 06 November 2010

Secret history

John Sawers, head of MI6, defended the organisation by saying ‘secrecy is not a dirty word’.

Secret history

John Sawers, head of MI6, defended the organisation by saying ‘secrecy is not a dirty word’. Here are a few things which the organisation does not attempt to keep secret:

— MI6 still does not officially exist. It was once known by that name but is now called the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in government circles.

— There were once 17 ‘MIs’. The original MI6 dealt with legal and financial affairs.

It spent much of the first world war housed in a single flat in Whitehall Court.

— MI6 and the other secret services grew out of the Secret Service Bureau set up in 1909 and which was often abbreviated ‘SS’ on official documents.

— MI6 does not publish accounts, but the intelligence services cost a total of £1.36 billion in 2005/06 — the latest year for which figures are on the SIS website

Source: SIS website

Armed forces

Britain and France have signed a defence treaty promising greater collaboration. How do our forces measure up?

Britain                                           France

195,000      Military personnel      225,000
1,891                Aircraft                    1,023
2                Aircraft carriers                     1
6                    Destroyers                      13
11                 Submarines                      10
17                   Frigates                          10

Source: MOD/globalfirepower.com


High prices

Street prices of drugs, per unit:

LSD (1 tab) £5.64

Heroin (1 hit, 0.1g) £5.57

Crack (1 hit, 0.75g) £5.00

Cocaine (1 line, 0.1g) £4.27

Draught bitter (1 pint) £2.96

Draught lager (1 pint) £2.59

Cannabis, skunk (1/80th oz) £2.33

Cannabis, hash (1/80th oz) £1.78

Amphetamine (0.1g) £1.31

Sources: IDMU, DrugScope and ONS

Fire and rescue

The Fire Service strike has drawn attention to what firemen do. Last year England’s 51,000 firemen made 669,000 emergency calls. Of these, 285,000 were false alarms and 142,500 were not related to fires. Here is how that category broke down:

Road traffic accidents 34,000

Lift release 20,400

Effecting entry 15,700

Water removal/provision 15,400

Spills or leaks 6,400

Other rescue 50,800

Source: DCLG

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