Martyn’s Law – time to get it done – Figen Murray

Sir David Amess MP was the last person in the UK to have tragically lost his life because of terrorism when he was murdered in a Methodist church hall on 15 October 2021.

Whilst there hasn’t been a fatality because of terrorism in the UK since then, we cannot become complacent and ignore the ongoing and evolving nature of the terrorist threat we’re facing.

Since March 2017, two months before my son Martyn Hett and 21 other people died in the Manchester Arena bombing, the UK’s intelligence and security partners have disrupted 39 late-stage terror attacks.

Annually, they are investigating more than 800 live cases, and last year, a record number of prisoners with terrorism-related convictions were released from custody, subject to supervision and restrictions. We do not know whether these individuals will commit further terrorist offences.

I don’t mention all of this to create fear or to alarm you, but to remind people that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and MI5 have set the current threat level at Substantial, meaning a terror attack is likely.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to improve public safety.

For five years I’ve been campaigning to introduce legislation that will require venues to undertake proportionate security measures. The Terrorism (Protection and Premises) Bill, officially known as Martyn’s Law, will be a first- of-its-kind piece of legislation and needs to be introduced to parliament urgently.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed to introducing the legislation in 2019, and in December 2022 I received a personal phone call from the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to confirm his commitment to introduce Martyn’s Law during this parliamentary session.

Despite receiving support from former Home Secretaries, cross-party MPs and Peers, the security industry, and the public, Martyn’s Law’s introduction continues to be delayed.

The Home Office launched further consultation on the standard tier requirements because misleading evidence was provided during scrutiny sessions at the Home Affairs Select Committee last year.

The suggested amendments to the standard tier requirements will consequently have an impact on the training requirements, and the implementation period, when the Bill does receive Royal Assent.

When we combine this consultation period with the prospect of the upcoming general election, it emphasises the need to introduce the Bill to parliament as soon as possible.

If there are significant delays to its introduction, then there is a worst case scenario which may result in having to start from scratch under a new government.

We can’t allow that to happen.

Currently, venues in the UK must adhere to legislation that sets out requirements for the number of toilets or how food is handled on their premises. But there is no legal requirement for venues to provide a basic level of security or training that could improve the response to a potential terror attack.

Martyn’s Law will change this.

If enacted, it will create proportionate and fair requirements for venues under two categories. Those venues with a capacity between 100 and 799 people will come under a standard tier. Venues with a capacity of 800 and more will come under the enhanced tier.

The standard tier and enhanced tier security requirements will be different, but the legislation has deliberately been designed to be proportionate. Businesses and venues will need to conduct a simple risk assessment that will help them to identify specific measures needed to make them more secure.

For venues that have a capacity of less than 100 people, I urge you to access free ACT training on ProtectUk.

On 22 May 2024 the families and friends of those injured and killed during the Manchester Arena terror attack will mark the 7th anniversary.

There is nothing that will bring our loved ones back to us, including my son Martyn, but this legislation will help to prevent more families enduring the experiences we’ve had to.

We cannot afford to be complacent and to ignore the terrorist threat here in the UK. The Government has an opportunity to do the right thing. It must act quickly to introduce Martyn’s Law.

Martyn’s Law will help to save lives. It’s time to get it done.

Figen Murray