4th Special Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban: Government Response

This is the government's response, published 29 April 2026.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government sets out work under way on Safety Advisory Group guidance and on a possible designation of events of national significance, but does not recommend a formal escalation mechanism "at this stage".

• A Cabinet Office-owned UK Resilience Academy review of Safety Advisory Group guidance "will result in the publication of new guidance", intended to strengthen members' ability to challenge effectively; no publication date is given.
• On escalation, consideration is being given to whether a "clear and proportionate mechanism" is needed, but any such process would require agreement across government on thresholds, decision-making responsibilities and how intervention would operate.
• On elected politicians sitting on Safety Advisory Groups, the government "agrees" membership should continue to be grounded in operational, regulatory and technical expertise, notes local authorities already have discretion over composition, and says the new guidance "will set out its position on political involvement".
• On a new category of football matches of national significance, officials are working across departments to consider options, but the government "will take account" of the HMICFRS findings, expected shortly, "before finalising proposals or setting out next steps".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error