UK Act of Parliament
1989
United Kingdom
Security Service Act 1989
At a glance
What's here
2 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Employee 1
Plus 1 non-business duty on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Supporting — topic alignment
1 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Employees also bound by 53 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (current NI employment law) 1996 13 duties
- The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 2003 10 duties
- Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014 2014 10 duties
- Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002 2002 9 duties
- Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 2006 5 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
Constitution of the Tribunal
- Security Service members must disclose information to the Tribunal Employee
Browse 1 other Schedule — structural / supplementary
Preliminary
The Director-General.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Director-General of MI5 must ensure operational neutrality and data controls Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 6 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- UKSV Helpdesk (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- Security vetting and clearance (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- National security vetting clearance levels (opens in a new tab) Publication
Explore more
Browse legislation
Find other UK business legislation with related guidance.