Part 9: Miscellaneous and general provisions Chapter 1: Miscellaneous Section 251: Amendments of the Intelligence Services Act 1994
Section (3)(1)(a) of ISA gives GCHQ the function of monitoring or interfering with electromagnetic, acoustic and other emissions and any equipment producing such emissions and to obtain and provide information. This section amends that provision to say that GCHQ can also "make use of" such emissions and equipment. This clarifies that GCHQ may, in the performance of its functions, make use of telecommunications services in the manner in which it was intended they would be used. This could be used for public communications as well as for investigative purposes.
	Section (3)(1)(b) of ISA gives GCHQ the functions of providing advice and assistance about the protection of information to the armed forces, the Government and to certain organisations. This section amends that provision so that GCHQ may provide such advice to organisations, persons or the general public, both in the UK or abroad. This will enable GCHQ to provide information assurance advice to a wide audience on issues, such as cyber security, which affect not just the Government but also business and the public in general.
	Subsection (3) amends section 5 of ISA to remove the restriction preventing the Secretary of State from issuing GCHQ and SIS with a property warrant relating to their function of supporting the prevention and detection of serious crime where the property is in the British Islands. The security and intelligence agencies have a remit to support law enforcement to help prevent and detect serious crime.