Two UK regulatory threads matter for operators this week. The Security Industry Authority has closed its consultation on section 12 guidance for Martyn's Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, and says it will publish final guidance and a full consultation report in the autumn. The SIA reported nearly 200 detailed responses and engagement with more than 1,800 people and organisations. The Act is expected to come into force in spring 2027, with the SIA as the regulator for the new premises duties.
For venue and event security that means the standard is being set now, ahead of enforcement. Duty-holders will have to show reasonable, practicable steps proportionate to the risk at a given site, and the autumn guidance is what inspectors will measure against. Teams running door, event or venue security should be building assessments against the draft now rather than waiting for the switch-on.
The change that bites sooner is on licensing. Since 1 April, a close-protection operative cannot renew an SIA licence without first completing the Level 2 Award for Close Protection Operatives (Refresher), and that in turn requires a current level 3 first-aid qualification valid for at least a year. It is a recurring requirement, not a one-off, and lapses are already catching experienced operators who assumed a straight renewal.
The practical point for CP operators is calendar discipline. Book the refresher and keep a level 3 first-aid ticket in date well before the licence expires, because letting either slip now stops the renewal, not just delays it.
