You can see it now.

I've done a risk assessment but I can't tell you what it says. If I told you, I would have to shoot you as a security risk.

Can't remember who it was who came up with a quote along the lines of

"There is no secret except the secret that there is no secret".

When I first moved to Scotland HMNB Clyde aka Faslane wasn't on the Ordnance Survey map, but it was regularly on the news with coverage of the semi-permanent Peace Camp just down the road.

Then I moved to work for Babtie when we had just designed the Ship Lift facility at Faslane. We had pictures of it in our offices and used one of them regularly in promotional materials. 

I've got a copy of the flyer we produced to advertise our very first course on "CDM" (except that at the time the acronym was "CONDAM"). Nobody is going to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate me holding "classified information"!

I think if someone put in a Freedom of Information request at the very least they could probably ascertain when the last fire risk assessments were done at the MI5 offices in London and GCHQ and may be even get copies of the assessments with a little nudging as it's probably unlikely that there would be anything in such an FRA that would merit "top secret" billing.

To be honest, I doubt that either of these roles would be particularly challenging for a competent fire risk assessor - once they were used to the concept that some parts of the buildings have increased security provision and you are not allowed in without enhanced vetting.

Hi Messey

Took just 30 seconds to get an idea of how many smoke detectors there may be at GCHQ.

GCHQ Fire Alarm & Evacuation Systems - Wessex Group

I fully appreciate that Government and other public bodies often hide behind "national security" when it comes to FOI requests, but quite often refusals are overturned when it comes to the crunch.

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

Note that this only lists the Cheltenham site, not the Scarborough site ( yes there is a GCHQ site in Yorkshire)

They dont need fire detectors as its always raining! And i can say that as im not that far away. So secret its on Google maps as is Menwith Hill the top secret base just down the road from Harrogate - which is actualy classed as US soil!