The new Labour government has committed to
introducing 'Martyn's Law' after a new anti-terrorism bill featured in the
King's Speech.
At the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday (17 July), King
Charles said that new legislation would be introduced to improve the safety and
security of public venues to 'keep the British public safe from terrorism'.
The 'Terrorism (Protection of Premises)
Bill', otherwise known as 'Martyn's Law', will require large venues to put
measures in place to tackle terror threats.
Martyn’s Law is named after 29 year-old Martyn
Hett, one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
His mother, Figen Murray OBE, has been campaigning for change since 2019, working with
campaigners and meeting government officials to push the new law forward.
Murray received an OBE in the 2022 New Year's Honours List for her counter-terrorism
work.
Writing on Linkedin, Murray said: “I am delighted that Martyn's Law was included in yesterday's King Speech.
"Although #martynslaw was included in the King's Speech last year, this time it feels very different. I feel that we've overcome another hurdle and I'm feeling optimistic and confident that the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will introduce the bill to parliament soon.
"I was grateful that despite a very busy schedule, Keir Starmer found the time to personally write to me during his election campaign to personally commit to introducing Martyn's Law to parliament.
"But this does not mark the end of the campaign and I can assure everyone that I, along with Nick Aldworth MPA CSyP Brendan Cox Nathan Emmerich and security experts, will not stop until Martyn's Law becomes enshrined in UK legislation.”
ICC
Wales published its Protect
Duty Report in early 2022, and has been a major advocate for the
legislation ever since, chairing taskforce groups and presenting case studies.
Danielle Bounds, sales director of ICC
Wales and a leading figure in the Martyn’s Law taskforce, said: "Figen Murray has worked tirelessly to get the bill through.
As recently as the day before former prime minister Rishi Sunak called the UK
election, she had completed a 200-mile walk to Downing Street from Manchester
as part of a campaign for the law.
"It’s only right that Martyn’s Law is now introduced. We have done
extensive work around the bill to prepare. Ensuring the safety of attendees is
paramount, and this legislation provides a structured approach to achieving
that. We are standing ready to welcome the new legislation."
A
spokesperson for the Events Industry Alliance said: “We are glad to see the reintroduction of
Protect Duty legislation in the King's Speech today, we remain committed, as an
industry, to seeing measures that ensure the safety of all.
“We have been engaging with the new security minister, Dan Jarvis MP, in recent months and look forward to working
closely with the new government to ensure that any proposals from the
legislation for Martyn’s Law, are realistic, proportionate and workable."
The new legislation aims to improve
protection against terrorism in public places in the following areas:
- Improving security against terror threats
- Online training provided by the government for venue staff
- All venues required to have a counter-terrorism plan
The requirements for venues will be based
on capacity and the nature of the events they host. Venues with a capacity of between 100 and 799 will be classed as 'standard
tier', while those with a capacity of over 800 will be 'enhanced tier'.
Higher-risk venues will be required to
implement more stringent security measures, including regular risk assessments,
staff training, and the establishment of clear evacuation procedures.
Martyn's Law was originally included in
the Queen's Speech in 2022, but its passage through Parliament was delayed by the
impact of Covid-19 and changes in government.
As part of her campaign, Murray walked the
200 miles from Manchester Arena to 10 Downing Street in May this year to meet
then-PM Rishi Sunak. Sunak refused to commit to a timeframe to introduce the legislation
– and then hours later called the general election on July 4.
Murray also met then-leader of the
opposition Sir Keir Starmer during her trip to London, who told the
House of Commons that Martyn's Law should be made a reality "as soon as
possible".
While the King’s Speech set out the intention
to introduce the legislation, a specific date is yet to be decided.
