The Government intends for there to be an implementation period of at least 24 months following Royal Assent before the Act’s requirements comes into force. The Home Office has published statutory guidance intended to assist those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand the requirements set out in the legislation. Whilst those that fall within scope of the Act may wish to begin considering the requirements, there is no requirement to comply with them until the legislation comes into force.
Requirements of the Act
The Act will ensure the public are better protected from terrorism by requiring certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack. In addition, certain larger premises will be required to consider and, where appropriate, take steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism. The Act establishes a tiered approach for premises, with those responsible for premises in scope required to fulfil different requirements according to the number of individuals it is reasonable to expect may be present at the premises at the same time:
- The ‘standard tier’ comprises of smaller premises where 200 – 799 individuals may be present. The requirements for this tier are centred on simple, low-cost activities designed to ensure those working at these premises are better able to reduce harm and save lives in the event of an attack. There is no requirement to put in place physical security measures in the standard tier.
- The ‘enhanced tier’ refers to larger premises where 800 or more individuals may be present. In addition to the requirements in the standard tier, these larger premises have further requirements placed upon them. This includes having in place, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection measures to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism and the risk of physical harm if one were to occur.
Events that are in scope of the Act as qualifying events are subject to the same requirements as enhanced tier premises.
For more information about whether a premises or event may fall in scope of the Act, please visit the Scope page on ProtectUK.
Persons responsible for standard tier premises will be required to:
- notify the regulator, the Security Industry Authority (SIA), that they are responsible for their premises.
- have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures that could be reasonably expected to reduce the risk of physical harm being caused to individuals if an attack were to occur there or nearby.
Persons responsible for enhanced tier premises and qualifying events will be required to:
- notify the SIA that they are responsible for the premises or event
- have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures that could be expected to reduce the risk of physical harm being caused to individuals if an attack were to occur there or nearby
- have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate measures that could reasonably be expected to reduce both the vulnerability of the premises or event to an act of terrorism occurring, and the risk of physical harm being caused to individuals if an attack were to occur there or nearby
- document the public protection procedures and measures in place, or proposed to be put in place, and provide this document to the Security Industry Authority.
For all premises and events, the responsible person must consider what is ‘reasonably practicable’ when ensuring that appropriate public protection procedures and/or measures are in place. Reasonably practicable means proportionate. In considering what is reasonably practicable, the responsible person should weigh what can be done to achieve the objectives of procedures and/or measures, balanced against the cost, time and difficulty of implementation.
Ultimately, what is appropriate and reasonably practicable will be a consideration at each of the individual premises in scope, as each will be unique. The particular procedures in place at one location may not be appropriate and reasonably practicable at another.
Watch the video below for a short overview of the scope and requirements of the Act.
Statutory Guidance
The Act requires the production of two separate pieces of statutory guidance: Home Office section 27 guidance for the public to understand how they might meet the requirements of the legislation; and SIA section 12 operational guidance which will set out how the SIA will exercise its functions as the regulator.
The section 27 guidance is now available to assist those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand the requirements set out in the legislation.
Wider Context of the Act
The legislation builds upon the Protect and Prepare strands of the Government's wider counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST, the aim of which is to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK.
In 2021, the publication of the Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume 1 report produced several recommendations, including the introduction of legislative requirements to improve the safety and security of public venues.
Please see the below video featuring campaigner Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, after whom Martyn’s Law is named, discussing the context and journey of the Act.
The Government is conscious of the need to ensure the Act strikes the right balance between public protection and avoiding undue burdens on premises and events. The provisions in the Act have been developed following engagement with expert security partners, businesses, local authorities and the Martyn’s Law campaign team. This includes two public consultations and pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill. The feedback received from this scrutiny has been reflected in the legislation.
Further Resources
For further resources on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises Act) 2025, please visit the Resources page on ProtectUK.