Protect Duty to enforce legal duty on event venues

Home Secretary Priti Patel has detailed the proposals for the Protect Duty, including a requirement for some public places to be prepared for a terror attack

Following a consultation into what sort of venues should be bound by the protect duty, which is being brought in as a response to the May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, the Home Office has detailed that seven in 10 of the 2,755 respondents to the consultation agreed that publicly accessible locations should take measures to protect people from attacks, including ensuring staff were trained to respond appropriately.

The government has said there was an understanding that measures should be proportionate to the size of the venue, with a greater onus put on those that are larger.

Very strong views were also expressed in the consultation regarding the need for accountability, such as the need for clear roles and responsibilities, particularly amongst event organisers, and those at senior level within venues and organisations. Half the respondents were in favour of an inspectorate that would identify key vulnerabilities and areas for improvement, as well as share best practice. There was also an even split of those who were supportive of the use of civil penalties to ensure compliance to the duty.

To further support the public and private sector, the Home Office is collaborating with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and Pool Reinsurance to develop a new interactive online platform, due to launch publicly this year. The platform will provide a central digital location for advice, guidance, e-learning and other helpful content. It will provide support for all organisations, not just those captured by the Protect Duty.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “My number one priority is keeping the people of the UK safe. Following the tragic attack at the Manchester Arena, we have worked closely with Figen Murray, victims’ groups and partners to develop proposals to improve protective security around the country. I am grateful for their tireless commitment to the duty and those who responded to the consultation; the majority of whom agreed tougher measures are needed to protect the public from harm.

“We will never allow terrorists to restrict our freedoms and way of life, which is why we are committed to bringing forward legislation this year, that will strike the right balance between public safety, whilst not placing excessive burden on small businesses.”

Figen Murray, mother of 29-year-old victim Martyn Hett, has campaigned for the introduction of a Martyn’s Law, including calling for venues and local authorities to have action plans against such attacks.

Read our Q&A with Figen Murray here.