Project Duty Consultation: Safety of Public Places

24th Jun 2021

As a business operator in Manchester, you will be familiar with the tragic events of 22 May 2017 and the subsequent Manchester Arena Attack Enquiry.

Government is encouraging businesses respond to a ‘Protect Duty’ consultation, which asks companies and individuals for their views on how to make publicly accessible places safer.

Martyn’s Law

A key element of the Protect Duty consultation is what has been commonly referred to as ‘Martyn’s Law’.

Martyn Hett was one of the young people who was murdered in the arena attack. His mother, Figan Murray, has since tirelessly campaigned for improved safety in the U.K’s publicly accessible spaces.

This consultation is very relevant to Manchester and our business community, and would encourage you to respond.

Martyn’s Law proposes five basic requirements of places where the public can gain access.

These five requirements are:

  • Engage with freely available counterterrorism advice and training;
  • Conduct vulnerability assessments of operating places and spaces;
  • Mitigate the risks created by the vulnerabilities;
  • Put in place have a counter-terrorism plan;
  • (And) a requirement for local authorities to plan for the threat of terrorism.

Respond to the Consultation

You can respond online gov.uk/government/consultations/protect-duty

It should take no more than 30 minutes to complete.

You can also share you views directly via the consultation’s email address ProtectDuty@homeoffice.gov.uk

At CityCo we will continue our strong partnership work with The North West Counter Terrorism Unit, Manchester City Council and GMP. We can facilitate training and bespoke sessions for your business. Please do not hesitate to get in touch to find out how we can help at operations@cityco.com