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Make counter-terror training part of venue license, security expert says

Baroness Ruth Henig, the former chair of the Security Industry Authority, has recommend that licensing laws should be altered to direct that entertainment venues should undergo counter-terror training. Henig is set to to table an amendment to the 2003 licensing act, to include counter-terror training. The news comes after a number of high profile terror attacks have taken place, including the Bataclan attacks in Paris at the end of last year, where 130 people died. Henig explained: "There are clearly a number of venues, often the larger venues, I think, but not always, who have airport-style security, who, for example, do have metal detectors, who do have very well-trained security personnel and they top up this training regularly. "But I think at the other end there is a tail of venues who aren't taking it seriously, we know this from the police, who don't co-operate, who don't take up the offers that are made to them and where I think there are some concerns. "And the issue is how do you get to that tail of venues who are perhaps not doing as much as they should be about security. I've been looking at the possibility of seeing if I could table an amendment to change the 2003 licensing act in terms of the wording of public protection. "If it was possible to say public protection and counter-terrorism measures and that would actually potentially make a big difference. "And there is some legislation going through Parliament at the moment (Policing and Crime Bill) and I'm going to see whether I could table an amendment to that effect."

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