IT'S the secret , dangerous and mysterious life that very few of us ever get in insight of.

In fact the closest most of us ever come to it are the fantasy worlds of James Bond and the TV show Spooks.

But now one Hampshire MP has been handed the very secretive role of investigating the undercover work of Her Majesty's Government's secret agents.

Tory MP for New Forest East, Julian Lewis is to join a committee of Parliamentarians tasked with overseeing the work of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

The appointment of Dr Lewis, along with six other MPs and two peers, to the Intelligence and Security Committee was approved by Parliament.

Its formal work of holding inquiries and grilling witnesses, including the heads of the intelligence services, will begin once the nominations have been signed off by Prime Minister David Cameron in the next few days.

The committee usually meets about 25 times a year to examine the expenditure, administration and policies of the intelligence services.

It is expected to produce an annual report on its findings, but may also conduct special investigations when necessary.

Recent reports from the committee have focused on the intelligence relating to the 7/7 London bombers and allegations about the Government's complicity in state abduction, known as extraordinary rendition.

Unlike ordinary select committees, which shadow Whitehall departments, the Intelligence and Security Committee is able to demand papers from former governments and official advice to ministers, and is given access to highly classified material.

Because of the sensitive nature of its work, its meetings are conducted in private, within the confines of the Official Secrets Act, and material from its published reports is often censored.

Not surprisingly Dr Lewis was staying tight-lipped about the details of the shadowy committee warning: "I can't say an awful lot about it".

But he told the Daily Echo: "I am naturally very pleased to have been appointed to what is probably one of the most interesting committees on which an MP can serve.

"It is a subject in which I have long been interested, both as a matter of history, and current politics and international relations."

Dr Lewis has in the past served on the Commons defence select committee, and was a Conservative shadow defence minister up until the general election.