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Feature
Protect Duty Counter Terrorism Proposals Drive Fresh Thinking, Guidance And Practical Help
Matthew Holliday, the National Security Inspectorate’s Director of Approval Schemes, explains how the Protect Duty security proposals for publicly accessible locations now include a free app, risk assessment guidance and a ‘competent persons scheme’, providing informed protective
advice to stadiums and arenas, and describes how third-party certification could be a significant string to the bow in wider protection for the public.
The Government’s January 2022-published response to a public consultation regarding Protect Duty proposals has focused on its intention to address the current lack of a legislative requirement for organisations or venues including stadiums and arenas to consider or employ security measures at the majority of places that the public have access to.
The Protect Duty consultation provides thought-provoking proposals on a range of potential future protective responsibilities and measures to improve security at publicly accessible locations (PALs) – defined as any place to which the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission.
Protect Duty’s Origins
In the wake of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack and the subsequent Martyn's Law campaign by Figen Murray, following the tragic loss of her son in the incident, Protect Duty was among the legislation confirmed in the May 2022 Queen’s Speech proposals for the next session of parliament. It forms part of the Government’s approach to improving security and preparedness at PALs without placing ‘undue burden’ on smaller businesses.
The UK’s counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST, was reviewed and updated in 2018. A significantly greater focus on systemic coordination across the public sector, linking up not just the intelligence services but also local authorities, health providers
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and others, was promised. Four years on, practical measures are already being introduced as part of CONTEST’s four strands: Prevent; Pursue; Protect; and Prepare.
Protect And Prepare The ‘Protect’ strand of CONTEST involves strengthening
protection against terrorist attack and reducing vulnerability, with elements of this strategy including improved security at crowded places through closer, more effective working with a wider range of local authority and private sector responsible partners. Complementing this, ‘Prepare’ seeks to mitigate the impact of a terrorist incident, by bringing any attack to an end rapidly and then recover from it.
The Government has continued to engage with stakeholders in preparing forthcoming Protect Duty legislation, whilst collaborating with the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and Pool Reinsurance in a tripartite, the Counter Terrorism Alliance, to develop an interactive online platform, ProtectUK.
Sharing of information and knowledge has been at the core of the Counter Terrorism Alliance’s work which focuses on utilising experience and research to discover innovative approaches to better inform businesses and the public on the threat, and best practices to mitigate against it. The new ProtectUK platform provides advice, guidance, e-learning and other helpful content.
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