Chidambaram visits security institutions in UK

Home minister P Chidambaram today acquainted himself with the functioning of some of the key British institutions dealing with security, intelligence and counter-terrorism issues.

Chidambaram, who is on a official visit here, wants to utilise latest methods of intelligence collection, particularly relating to counter-terrorism, at the National Intelligence Grid, which he plans to set up in India.

According to sources, the home minister visited some of the security-related institutions located outside London and will hold discussions with his British counterpart Allan Johnson and Foreign Secretary David Miliband tomorrow.

A spokeswoman of the British Home Office told PTI that Chidambaram would have a "private" meeting with Johnson
tomorrow. However, she declined to give further details.

Chidambaram is accompanied among others by NATGRID CEO Raghu Raman.

He is also scheduled to meet director general of Security Service Jonathan Evans, director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism Charles Farr and chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee Alex Allan.

The institutions, he is scheduled to visit are the Metropolitan Police Service, the Detica Operations Centre, the Secret Intelligence Service and the GCHQ which is one of the three intelligence agencies of the UK.