London, Dec 26 : Britain's spy agencies will face the most intense scrutiny in their history in a `radical' shake-up of watchdog powers next year.

New measures will mean that a designated group of MPs and peers could demand sensitive material from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, and investigate any operation they wish.

Officials will be able to go to the agencies to review and retrieve documents in person rather than relying on them to decide what evidence is relevant to any inquiry, the Telegraph reports.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), said the changes will mean parliament and the public can have confidence "nothing is being held back".

The agencies have previously been accused of withholding relevant information from the committee, claims they have always strongly denied.

The new measures are part of a revamp of the ISC, which is made up of MPs and peers and tasked with monitoring the work of the spy agencies, the report said.

However, under the shake-up, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of MI5, Sir John Sawers, the Chief of MI6, and Iain Lobban, Director of GCHQ, will give evidence in public, the report added. (ANI)