The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, known as Martyn’s Law, is currently going through parliament having reached its committee stage in the House of Commons. After the Bill was included in the King’s Speech in July, it was introduced to the Commons in September, then debated, and passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 14th October.
The law follows campaigning by Figen Murray OBE, the mother of Martyn Hett who was one of 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. Her campaign had gained widespread support, including from prominent figures in the security industry. She attended the Bill’s second reading.
Under the law those responsible for premises will be required to fulfil necessary but proportionate steps, according to their capacity, to help keep the public safe. This includes a tiered approach, linked to the size of the venue, how many people will be there and the activity taking place.
The standard tier rules will apply to premises with a capacity of more than 200 people but under 800. These venues will be asked to undertake activities to put in place procedures to reduce harm to the public in the event of an attack. These include training staff to lock doors, close shutters and identifying a safe route to cover. The enhanced tier will apply to premises and events with a capacity of more than 800 individuals. These venues will need to put in place measures such as CCTV or hiring security staff.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will become the regulator responsible for enforcement of the law and will receive extra government funding for this role. This is in addition to its function to protect the public through the licensing of individual security officers and enforcement of private security industry requirements under the Private Security Industry Act 2001.
The SIA stated: “We fully appreciate the significance of Martyn’s Law and the important role the Martyn’s Law Regulator will have. This is an important responsibility we will discharge with care and diligence.”
Responding to the introduction of Martyn’s Law into parliament, Michael Kill, chief executive officer of the Night Time Industries Association, which represents hospitality and entertainment venues, said: “Martyn’s Law aims to bolster safety measures at publicly accessible venues, a goal we wholeheartedly support. However, as we advance, it is crucial to address the proportionality of the proposed measures, within all settings. We must ensure that the balance between heightened security and practical implementation is carefully considered. Key concerns include the operational impact, skillset required of venue operators and the financial implications of enforcing these new safety protocols.”
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, speaking in the debate on Martyn’s Law in parliament last month said: “The Bill has the wholehearted support of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and, I hope, the whole House.
“The first responsibility of any Government is to keep the public safe. That is, and will always be, our No. 1 priority. We will not let terrorists or extremists destroy or distort our way of life. That is why Labour committed in our manifesto to strengthening the security of public events and venues, why the Prime Minister made a commitment to Figen Murray and why we have moved at speed to introduce the Bill in a matter of weeks after the general election. Earlier work was done on the Bill under the last Government and I am glad to say that it has cross-party support—I hope that, when it comes to security matters, the House will always be prepared to come together.”
Requirements for standard tier premises apply to locations with a capacity of more than 200 people but under 800. These venues will be asked to undertake activities to put in place procedures to reduce harm to the public in the event of an attack. These include training staff to lock doors, close shutters and identifying a safe route to cover. The enhanced tier will apply to premises and events with a capacity of more than 800 individuals. These venues will need to put in place measures such as CCTV or hiring security staff.
MPs of all political parties expressed support for the Bill however there were some concerns about burdens on smaller venues and on the live music sector as well as the preparedness of the SIA to take on its new responsibilities. The government believes the main concerns about burdens on small venues have been addressed in the current legislation after a consultation earlier this year. The results of the consultation showed that community venues and places of worship were most worried about the added burden and financial implication of the new law. The highest proportion of organisations that felt the new requirements would be easy to take forward were in education and childcare (36%) followed by visitor attractions and entertainment venues (35%).
Connor Rand, Labour MP for Altrincham and Sale West, speaking in favour of the Bill said: “The Manchester Arena inquiry carried out by Sir John Saunders found multiple missed opportunities for detecting and stopping the bomber, or, at the very least, minimising the number of casualties that he was able to inflict. Sir John spoke of serious shortcomings from the operators of the arena, the company tasked with the concert security and the British Transport Police, including a lack of preparedness and a lack of communication between security employees regarding suspicious behaviour. That contributed to the attacker being able to do covert reconnaissance on the arena undetected and find a CCTV blind spot.
Underpinning those missed opportunities was a failure to treat the terror threat with the severity it deserved. At that point, the terror threat facing the country was classed as severe, but now it is classed as substantial, with an attack sadly likely.”
Following the second reading of Martyn’s Law in the House of Commons the Public Bill Committee called for those with a special interest in or relevant experience in relation to the Bill to provide written evidence. The Committee began its consideration of the Bill in October and was due to report by 19th November.
We are committed to supporting organisations prepare for the implementation of Martyn’s Law now it is going through Parliament. Some of the steps needed may not be as onerous as some believe if organisations combine better staff training and communication with the use of advanced technology.
As an established designer and installer of advanced security systems we would be delighted to talk through the options available to help provide better protection for staff and customers within a venue. Please contact us to find out more.
