New law to force venues to prepare for terror attacks
A proposed new law will require the UK’s venue operators to have measures in place to protect the public from terror attacks.
The new legislation, labelled as “Protect Duty” by the Home Office, could force operators to increase physical security, conduct training and draw up incident response exercises for staff on what to do during an attack.
It’s been suggested by the Home Office that the duty would be proportionate to the size and type of organisation.
The policy – to be announced by security minister James Brokenshire today – will go under a consultation phase with business owners starting in spring.
“We are in complete agreement with campaigners such as Figen Murray on the importance of venues and public spaces having effective and proportionate protective security and preparedness measures to keep people safe,” Brokenshire said.
“This public consultation will ensure we put in place a law that will help protect the public while not putting undue pressure on businesses.”