About the bill
The Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill, also known as ‘Martyn’s Law’ is expected to become law in December 2023 or January 2024.
The bill is the legislative response to the findings of the Manchester Arena Inquiry.
It is designed to reduce the risk to the public from terrorism by the protection of public venues – increasing national security and personal safety.
What it means for organisations
The bill will place a requirement on those responsible for certain locations to consider the threat from terrorism.
It will also require them to put measures in place to mitigate the threat, including implementing security systems, staff training, and clearer processes.
There will be different requirements depending on capacity;
- Locations which can host between 100 to 799 people will need to follow ‘Standard Tier’ regulations. They will need to complete a templated Emergency Action Plan provided by the Home Office and put appropriate and proportional measures in place based on this assessment.
- For locations with a capacity above 800, ‘Enhanced Tier’ rules will apply. This will require more detailed risk assessments, security planning and staff training - and a proportional response which will be articulated in the legislation.
The new rules will not apply to venues with a capacity of less than 100.
An inspection regime will be put in place by the UK Government, and the regulator will have full powers of entry into any qualifying location.
Sanctions will range from a fine or permanent closure of the location to criminal sanctions against the organisation. Non-compliance is also likely to bring reputational risks.
Implications for the University and Colleges
The scope of the bill includes premises used for entertainment and leisure, retail, food and drink, museums and galleries, sports grounds, visitor attractions, temporary events, places of worship, health, and education.
It will apply to eligible premises which are either:
- a building or collection of buildings used for the same purposes, e.g. a campus;
- or a location/event (including a temporary event) that has a defined boundary
As such, all parts of the University and colleges are expected to fall under the qualifying criteria.
University and college response
A ‘task and finish’ working group has been formed with representation from across the University and colleges to:
- gain a better understanding of the implications of the bill for the University
- develop consistent approaches to support Oxford’s response
- leverage economies of scale where possible during the implementation of response measures
The group includes representatives from the central University, academic divisions and colleges. A list of group members can be found below.
Colleagues in divisions, departments and colleges are encouraged to engage with the working group via their representatives, rather than developing their own approaches or seeking their own solutions (e.g. Mass Alert systems, consultancy, training solutions).
More information
Further information about the bill, and the University’s response, will be provided in the months ahead.
If you have any questions at this stage, please contact the relevant member of the Working Group.
Working Group members
Chair: Neil Unsworth, Head of Risk and Resilience, Assurance Directorate
Academic Divisions
Humanities:
- Gail Miller, Divisional Safety Officer, Humanities
MPLS:
- Keri Dexter, Head of Strategic Planning and Projects, MPLS Division
- Philip Paling, Departmental Safety Officer, Department of Engineering Science, Area Safety Officer MPLS
Medical Sciences:
- Goher Ayman, Governance Manager, MSD Divisional Office
- Graham Ross, Senior Divisional Safety Officee, MSD
Social Sciences:
- Neil Carveth, Divisional Safety Officer, Social Sciences Division
- Karen Mead, Facilities and HR Officer, Oxford Internet Institute
Colleges
- Angela Unsworth, Domestic Bursar, University College
- Gez Wells, Home Bursar, New College
Communications
- Dan Selinger, Head of Communications and Engagement, Professional Services
- Stephen Rouse, Head of University Communications
Estates Services
- Michael Weymouth, Head of Strategic Facilities Management
- Tom Mitchell, Senior Facilities Manager
Events
- Lisa Seddon and Susannah Sheffield, Joint Heads of the Events Office, Public Affairs Directorate
- Ellen Brady, Head of Oxford University Event Venues
Legal Services
- Gemma Jacobs, Office Manager, Legal Services Officer
Security Services
- Darrell Moss, University Marshal
Gardens, Libraries and Museums
- Michael Finneran, Head of Safety and Security, Ashmolean Museum
