Counter-terror training 'should be part of venue licence'

The BBC is reporting that licensing laws should be changed to require entertainment venues around the UK to undergo counter-terror training.

Baroness Ruth Henig apparently told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that some venues did not take such training "seriously".  The former chair of the Security Industry Authority now plans to table an amendment to the 2003 Licensing Act, to include counter-terror training.

Baroness Henig, who is also chair of the private security company, SecuriGroup, said that "the public should ask questions" about security when they go to venues.

The UK's terror threat is at "severe" - meaning an attack is deemed to be "highly likely".

Baroness Henig said: "There are clearly a number of venues, often the larger venues, I think, but not always, who have airport-style security, who, for example, do have metal detectors, who do have very well-trained security personnel and they top up this training regularly.

"But I think at the other end there is a tail of venues who aren't taking it seriously, we know this from the police, who don't co-operate, who don't take up the offers that are made to them and where I think there are some concerns. And the issue is how do you get to that tail of venues who are perhaps not doing as much as they should be about security."

Baroness Henig is quoted by the BBC as saying: "I've been looking at the possibility of seeing if I could table an amendment to change the 2003 Licensing Act in terms of the wording of public protection.  If it was possible to say public protection and counter-terrorism measures and that would actually potentially make a big difference. And there is some legislation going through Parliament at the moment (Policing and Crime Bill) and I'm going to see whether I could table an amendment to that effect."

As we have previously reported, Project Griffin is one of the police initiatives set up to help protect business and communities from the threat of terrorism.  See our article: 'UK Night Time Economy and the Terrorist Thread'

We will keep you updates with any further developments