UK spy chief says more women, ethnic minorities needed in the force as inclusion is 'mission critical'

THE head of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has said that more women and ethnic minorities are needed in secret service as inclusion has become 'mission critical, not a nice-to-have.'

Jeremy Fleming told the Cyber UK conference that Britain's intelligence agency needs more representation from women and ethnic minorities, reported The Daily Mail.

"The UK will only be able to thrive in the digital era if we are able to draw people from all backgrounds to work together on these problems," Fleming said.

"It's not just the morally right thing to do, it's smart business."

During the conference, he added that data had 'become the crown jewels that we must protect'.

The GCHQ is putting serious resource and thinking into what more we can do as an organisation to better represent the country we serve, a spokesman told The Daily Mail.

Priti Patel announced plans to bolster cybersecurity laws in the same conference.

She said a government review would look at harsher punishments for hacking, online fraud and crimes against children, The Daily Mail report added.