The Job of the Home Office

[Tom Paine]

What is it? For the last few years, more, it has been looked at by the Home Secretary as that of tightening the aws, reducing fear, and attempting to tackle terrorism, even if this means putting justice at risk. John Reid says that his "task is to reduce fear and increase fairness for all citizens" (BBC). The police have been granted new powers for this purpose. But is that what its really there for? So what do you thnk the task of the Home Office in the current era is?

[the Black Prince]

similar to the US department of homeland security

Law and Order
State Security
Immigration and Asylum
Defence of the Realm
n.b that while the home office controls Law and Order, it has nothing to do with the administration of Justice, which is handled by the Department of Constitutional Affairs, and its primary executive agency, HM Courts Service


executive and semi autonomous agencies of the home office include
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)
HM Security Service (MI5)
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC)
HM Customs and Exercise
National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

various other regulatory enforcement agencies that don;t come under other departments

[Tom Paine]

So basically its job is purely to enforce the law, in your opinion, and to defend the country whatever that takes?