The Government must ensure that enough funding is made available to local authorities to respond to the ‘significant resource’ requirements of new anti-terrorism legislation, council chiefs say.
The Home Office yesterday announced details for the Protect Duty, now to be known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, which will require venues to take steps to improve public safety.
The duty is named in tribute of Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017.
Martyn’s Law will follow a tiered model linked to activity that takes place at a location. A standard tier will apply to locations with a maximum capacity of over 100 which can undertake low-cost measures, such as training, to improve preparedness in the face of a terrorist attack.
An enhanced tier will focus on locations that can hold over 800 people. They will be required to undertake a risk assessment to inform the development and implementation of a security plan. Subsequent measures could include developing a vigilance and security culture, and implementation of physical measures like CCTV.
Responding to the new duty, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Safer & Stronger Communities Board, said that councils and their partners ‘already carry out considerable work to protect and keep communities safe.’
Cllr Caliskan also urged the Government to ensure that the new measures were backed up with funding and that councils were given time to prepare before the legislation comes into force.
‘The Government must now ensure that funding is made available to respond to the significant resource and capacity requirements needed to successfully implement Martyn’s Law,’ she said.
'There should also be sufficient lead-in time, and guidance provided ahead of the legislation coming into force so that councils and others understand their new obligations and can prepare accordingly.
‘In addition, government should provide clarity around how the new duty will be enforced.
‘It is vital that measures to increase security continue to sit alongside investment in prevention programmes, that aim to stop people carrying out attacks, tackle extremism and build community cohesion and resilience.’
