Britain to create ministries of security and justice

LONDON - Britain is to split up its beleaguered interior ministry into two separate departments with responsibility for national security and justice respectively, press reports on Thursday said.

The Home Office confirmed late on Wednesday that interior minister John Reid has completed various reviews since taking over the post last May and made a series of recommendations to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"The recommendations have been passed to the Prime Minister for his consideration," a Home Office spokeswoman said.

Several press reports said that the prime minister was expected to announce the plans later on Thursday, with one ministerial source not involved in the change stelling The Times: "If you ask me, it is game set and match to Reid."

Reid has in the past made clear his frustrations with the department - which rarely goes a week without making headlines in Britain -- and declared parts of it "not fit for purpose" after becoming Home Secretary.

According to reports published in the Financial Times, Independent, and The Times, a ministry of justice will be created by merging the parts of the Home Office responsible for prisons, probation and the criminal justice system with the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

That department will be led by the Lord Chancellor, Britain's de facto justice minister, a post currently manned by Lord Charles Falconer.

The ministry for national security will retain control of the police, as well as crime-fighting and immigration, and will be led by Reid.

Reid will also chair a weekly meeting of the security and intelligence agencies, though the foreign intelligence service MI6 and the government's listening outpost GCHQ will still report to the foreign ministry.

Agence France-Presse