.png)
Introducing a new law requiring public venues to better protect people from terror attacks is seen as a "top priority" by the security minister.
A year ago the public inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing found a series of security failures and missed opportunities to prevent the atrocity. A lawyer for seven bereaved Arena families has criticised how long it was taking to introduce Protect Duty laws.
But Security Minister Damian Hinds said the government had to "get it right". The government said it intended to introduce legislation during the current parliamentary session. Mr Hinds told the BBC he would "guarantee" the new law would have a strong legal duty on venues, as well as tough enforcement measures for those that do not comply.
What is Maryn's Law? (Link to downloadable here)
The government first announced plans for the so-called Protect Duty in January, compelling all public venues to have appropriate security procedures in place.
Mr Hinds said it was "vital" to learn lessons from the "terrible tragedy" of the 2017 terror attack, in which 22 people were killed and hundreds more were injured by a suicide bomber at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
The public inquiry's first report, published in June 2021, said the bomber should have been identified as a threat before he carried out the attack.
Inquiry Chairman Sir John Saunders said the government should make it a legal requirement for all public venues to have counter-terrorist plans and security measures in place.
The extent of those measures would depend on the size of the venue.
Protect Duty is based on the campaign for Martyn's Law, led by Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett died in the Arena bomb.
Ms Murray said that while she was "pretty confident" Protect Duty would become law, she had a "feeling because it's such a complex piece of legislation that it's not going to be plain sailing… there'll be teething difficulties".
Once it is introduced, "everyone, on the whole, should feel more safe," she added.
But Pete Weatherby, who represents seven other families who lost loved ones in the attack, was sceptical.
"The fact that the government is [still] only talking about a future draft Protect Bill is itself nothing short of an outrage," he said.
And while Mr Weatherby said they welcomed the inclusion of the proposed law in this year's Queen's Speech, they doubt whether it will be effective.
He added: "We don't know whether that bill will be a 'chocolate fireguard', whether it will be purely aspirational, sound good but deliver nothing.
"If it requires people to 'have a look at this' or to 'try harder on that', it's pointless and that's always been the fear of the families."
Mr Hinds insisted the Protect Duty would be strong and effective while not creating "excessive amounts of bureaucracy" for businesses.
"Having met some of the survivors and the families from this most awful of attacks… that only goes to reinforce and deepen the commitment that we all have to make this work," he said.
"I absolutely understand people's sense of urgency, that's a sense of urgency I share. We all want to get on and do this but we also have to make sure we get it right."
Ms Murray said some organisations in the security industry were already improving measures, anticipating any future law.
"A lot of people within the industry are not even waiting - they're buying equipment, putting more staff on, they're looking at their CCTV, they're doing loads of stuff and that in itself is really heart-warming," she said.
Mr Hinds insisted the government and the security sector were determined to learn lessons from the mistakes highlighted in the Arena Inquiry.
"You can't let that moment pass when you can still learn those lessons and I can absolutely assure the families and communities that the commitment is there," he said.
The final two reports from the Manchester Arena Inquiry are expected to be published in late 2022.
This article originally appeared on BBC News.