Public Inquiry

Manchester Arena Inquiry

Completed · Chair: Sir John Saunders · Established October 2019 · Commissioned by Home Office

Public inquiry into the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017, which killed 22 people and injured over 1,000 others.

Where it stands

Public hearings were held on 213 days between November 2019 and March 2022.

The inquiry has published 3 reports, most recently Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 3: Radicalisation and Preventability on 2 March 2023.

The most recent government response on the record is Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations (GOV.UK page linking to the Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard), dated 1 May 2026.

Government response (169 recommendations)

Delivery (the addressees’ latest statements)

  • Cabinet Office says in progress 90
  • Cabinet Office says completed 77
  • Department of Health and Social Care says in progress 1
  • Home Office says in progress 1

Record checked against the sources 11 June 2026. Latest activity 3 September 2026.

Latest on the recommendations

All 169 recommendations

Reports

Reports and timeline

Recent milestones

  • Government Response8 June 2023
  • Volume 3 Published2 March 2023
  • Volume 2 Published3 November 2022
Full timeline

Costs

£36,323,455

Total reported cost to August 2023 Costs in detail

Parliament

53

mentions in Parliament Parliamentary activity

Recommendations

9 shown (filtered)
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MAI-9: Enact Protect Duty into law

Accepted · Home Office says in progress

Recommended

A Protect Duty, as set out above, should be enacted into law by primary legislation.

Since then (summary written by this site)

In April 2026, the Home Office published statutory guidance stating that the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is subject to an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent to fully establish the SIA as regulator and allow those in scope to prepare, noting that there is no legal requirement to comply until commencement (Home Office, Apr 2026). The Cabinet Office previously recorded in February 2026 that the legislation received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).

Addressed to no body recorded · Full record

MAI-17: Review BTP jurisdiction overlaps

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

BTP and all Home Office Police Services should conduct a review of the areas in which their jurisdictions overlap. In the case of areas which have a significant footfall by members of the public which are not part of the railway estate, a review should be conducted by both BTP and the Home Office Police Services. Following the review, agreement as to primacy should be reached and recorded in writing.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that the recommendation was complete, recording that all Home Office police forces with high-footfall locations had signed memorandums of understanding with British Transport Police detailing jurisdiction and primacy (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It stated that agreements with Greater Manchester Police, West Yorkshire Police, and Hertfordshire Constabulary were stored electronically in control rooms and on an operational application, with refresh dates and owners identified (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026).

Addressed to Home Office; British Transport Police; Police Services · Full record

MAI-18: Address BTP systemic failings from Volume 1

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

BTP should address the systemic failings identified in Volume 1, so as to ensure that they are not repeated.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that the British Transport Police considered the recommendation complete, noting that "All 37 deliverables are now complete" under the SABRE project team covering recommendations MR3 and MR9 (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). This maintained the position recorded in November 2025, when the UK Government accepted the recommendation in full and also reported those deliverables finished (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025; Cabinet Office, Nov 2025).

Addressed to British Transport Police · Full record

MAI-20: Review licensing for security contractors

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

Consideration should be given to whether contractors who carried out security services should be required to be licenced.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that the recommendation was complete, following a written answer that month from Dan Jarvis, Minister of State for Security, noting that the Home Office had launched a public consultation on licensing security businesses (Dan Jarvis, Feb 2026; Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). In June 2026, the Security Industry Authority stated in its strategic plan that it was ready to implement any changes approved by the government to make business licensing mandatory following that consultation (Security Industry Authority, Jun 2026).

Addressed to no body recorded · Full record

MAI-50: Address Arena failings identified in Volume 1

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

Improvements, to the extent that they have not already been made, should be made at the Arena to address the failings identified in Volume 1. Specific consideration should be given to how to address my concerns in relation to complacency.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that the recommendation was completed, noting that the Arena and all SMG venues had appointed dedicated security managers and adopted a risk assessment toolkit (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It stated in February 2026 that the operator had introduced a digital system to monitor patrols in real time to guard against complacency, added reporting reminders to pre-event briefings, and mandated Action Counters Terrorism training for all staff (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government previously recorded the recommendation as accepted in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).

Addressed to SMG · Full record

MAI-51: Address Showsec failings identified in Volume 1

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

Improvements, to the extent that they have not already been made, should be made by Showsec to address the failings identified in Volume 1. Specific consideration should be given to how to address my concerns in relation to complacency.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that work on the recommendation was completed, stating that Showsec requires all staff to complete ACT Security training, annual refresher courses, and pre-event counter-terrorism briefings (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It added that new staff at Manchester Arena must undergo an in-person venue familiarisation session before their first shift (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). To address complacency, the department stated that the company introduced a system asking staff on each shift whether they observed hostile reconnaissance, adopted digital logging at the arena, and expanded supervisor training (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026).

Addressed to ShowSec · Full record

MAI-64: Create centralised NaCTSO training library

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

NaCTSO should create a centralised library of training materials.

Since then (summary written by this site)

In February 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that this recommendation was complete, stating that the ProtectUK platform had been created and populated with guidance (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The department noted that the platform continues to evolve and adapt to meet different user needs and respond to new legislative or policy requirements, such as the Protect Duty (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had previously accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).

Addressed to no body recorded · Full record

MAI-65: NaCTSO guidance on terrorism risk assessments

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

NaCTSO should issue guidance in relation to the completion of risk assessments addressing the threat of terrorism.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office stated in February 2026 that the recommendation was complete, reporting that the Risk Management Process had been uploaded to ProtectUK, although it noted that "the process is currently being reviewed and aligned to ISO" (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had previously recorded the recommendation as accepted in full in its response dashboard in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).

Addressed to no body recorded · Full record

MAI-161: Review CCTV monitoring SIA licence requirements

Accepted · Cabinet Office says completed

Recommended

The requirement that only those monitoring CCTV under a contract for services need to hold an SIA licence should be reviewed.

Since then (summary written by this site)

The Cabinet Office reported in a February 2026 dashboard update that a ministerial review to deliver on the intent of the recommendation was complete (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). In June 2026, the Security Industry Authority stated in its strategic plan that it was ready to implement any changes approved by the government to extend statutory licensing to in-house roles following the public consultation (Security Industry Authority, Jun 2026).

Addressed to Security Industry Authority · Full record

Reports and timeline

Timeline

Manchester Arena Attack

Terrorist attack at Manchester Arena killed 22 people.

Inquiry Announced

Home Secretary announced a public inquiry.

Source

Chair Appointed

Sir John Saunders appointed as Chair.

First preliminary hearing

Source

Hearings Begin

Public hearings commenced.

Volume 1 Published

Volume 1 report on security published.

Source

Final oral closing statements

Source

Volume 2 Published

Volume 2 report on emergency response published.

Source

Show all 10 milestones

Volume 3 Published

Final volume on radicalisation of the attacker published.

Source

Government Response

Government published response accepting recommendations.

Source

Costs

Total reported cost: £36,323,455
Period Total Inquiry legal CP legal Source
Aug 2023 £433,226 £161,032 £50,193

Financial Report Apr-Aug 2023 (Final)

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 1 Apr 2023 to 31 Aug 2023.

Final period. Inquiry concluded June 2023. Chairman salary £34,935. Inquiry Secretary £9,611.

Financial Report Apr-Aug 2023 (Final)

Aug 2023 (cum.) £36,323,455 £12,933,544 £12,025,040

Cumulative Total Oct 2019 - Aug 2023

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 22 Oct 2019 to 31 Aug 2023.

Total inquiry cost £36.32 million. Inquiry ran from Oct 2019 to June 2023. Chair: Sir John Saunders. Three volumes of reports published 2022-2023. S40 payments (Core Participant legal costs) totalled £12.03 million.

Cumulative Total Oct 2019 - Aug 2023

Mar 2023 £2,900,968 £1,518,494 £169,977

Financial Report FY22-23

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 1 Apr 2022 to 31 Mar 2023.

Chairman salary £313,997 (includes ~£26,600 backdated pay). Inquiry Secretary £115,852. Publication/Printing £145,799 for report production.

Financial Report FY22-23

Mar 2022 £13,359,502 £4,525,677 £4,421,346

Financial Report FY21-22

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2022.

Chairman salary £285,630 plus expenses £23,035. Inquiry Secretary £111,818. Health Services £260,713.

Financial Report FY21-22

Mar 2021 £15,871,460 £4,700,572 £6,326,137

Financial Report FY20-21

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 1 Apr 2020 to 31 Mar 2021.

Chairman salary £256,969 plus expenses £10,430. Inquiry Secretary £110,756. Health Services for witness support £120,018.

Financial Report FY20-21

Mar 2020 £3,758,299 £2,027,769 £1,057,387

Financial Report FY19-20

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 22 Oct 2019 to 31 Mar 2020.

First partial year (Oct 2019-Mar 2020). Chairman Sir John Saunders salary £39,306. Inquiry Secretary £28,886.

Financial Report FY19-20

22 Oct 2019 – 31 Aug 2023 · Cumulative Total Oct 2019 - Aug 2023

Cumulative Total Oct 2019 - Aug 2023

Source and qualifications

Accounting period: 22 Oct 2019 to 31 Aug 2023.

Total inquiry cost £36.32 million. Inquiry ran from Oct 2019 to June 2023. Chair: Sir John Saunders. Three volumes of reports published 2022-2023. S40 payments (Core Participant legal costs) totalled £12.03 million.

Cumulative Total Oct 2019 - Aug 2023

Detailed cost breakdown · to Aug 2023
Inquiry legal costs
£12,933,544
Core participant legal costs
£12,025,040
Staff
£2,253,186
Accommodation
£2,319,627
Technology
£5,344,006
Other
£1,448,052

Parliamentary activity

53 mentions since Sep 2020
2 debates 31 questions 16 statements

Care Quality Commission: Fees and Charges

Written Question House of Commons Sir Julian Smith · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of either a) exempting people providing healthcare as individuals from the Care Quality Commission registration fee, or b) charging a reduced fee, following the …

Answered by Department of Health and Social Care: Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the new rules bring treatment of disease, disorder, or injury (TDDI) at sporting and cultural events, sports grounds, and gymnasiums under the regulation of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and are intended to ensure that higher-risk event healthcare is appropriately regulated to support safe, high-quality care. This only applies where the care in such circumstances …

Health Professions: Care Quality Commission

Written Question House of Commons Sir Julian Smith · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on the viability of medical professionals who are not registered with …

Answered by Department of Health and Social Care: Following the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the new rules bring treatment of disease, disorder, or injury (TDDI) at sporting and cultural events, sports grounds, and gymnasiums under the regulation of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and are intended to ensure that higher-risk event healthcare is appropriately regulated to support safe, high-quality care. This only applies where the care in such circumstances …

Care Quality Commission

Written Question House of Lords Lord Kamall · Conservative

Asked: To ask His Majesty's Government what resources have been provided to the Care Quality Commission to undertake its additional function arising from the Manchester Arena Inquiry of managing registrations and inspections of medical providers delivering healthcare at sporting and cultural venues and events.

Answered by Department of Health and Social Care: Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections will be supported by a dedicated team of specialist advisors with expertise across a range of settings, including pre-hospital care. The CQC will continue to review the skills and capacity of its teams ahead of implementation to ensure it can regulate the sector effectively. The Department, in consultation with the CQC, has agreed to a …

Mountain rescue in Cumbria

Early Day Motion House of Commons Tim Farron · Liberal Democrat

Said: That this House notes with concern the potential impact of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on small-volunteer led organisations; recognises the impetus for this change arose from the recommendations of the Manchester Arena bombing inquiry, and that improved …

Athletes: Health Services

Written Question House of Commons Dame Caroline Dinenage · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on (a) the number of and (b) participation rates in sporting events …

Answered by Department of Health and Social Care: The Manchester Arena Inquiry recommended that the Government make changes to the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums and under temporary arrangements at sporting and cultural events to ensure public safety. The Government has considered the impacts of this change, and a public consultation allowed stakeholders to provide information …

Culture and Sports

Written Question House of Commons Dame Caroline Dinenage · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on trends in the number of sporting and cultural events in …

Answered by Department for Culture, Media and Sport: DCMS officials engage with the sector on the impacts of regulation. DCMS will continue to engage with DHSC on the removal of exemptions for temporary sporting and cultural events to ensure impacts to event delivery are mitigated as far as possible in line with the policy recommendations from the Manchester Arena Inquiry.

Sports: Care Quality Commission

Written Question House of Commons Dame Caroline Dinenage · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with sporting (a) bodies, (b) venues and (c) events organisers on proposed changes to the role of the Care Quality Commission.

Answered by Department for Culture, Media and Sport: The Manchester Arena Inquiry Volume Two report recommended the government make changes to the law to enable the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums and under temporary arrangements at sporting and cultural events to ensure public safety. The government and CQC has engaged a range of stakeholders within the health, sports and events …

Health Professions: Culture and Sports

Written Question House of Commons Dame Caroline Dinenage · Conservative

Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes removing exemptions for temporary cultural and sporting events from laws mandating that medical providers be CQC registered on the number of cultural and …

Answered by Department of Health and Social Care: The Manchester Arena Inquiry recommended that the Government make changes to the law to enable the Care Quality Commission to regulate event healthcare at sporting venues and gymnasiums, and under temporary arrangements, at sporting and cultural events to ensure public safety. The Government has considered the impacts of this change, and a public consultation allowed stakeholders to provide information on …

View all 53 mentions →

Evidence & impact

AI-generated · 26 Mar 2026
The Manchester Arena Inquiry was established following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017 that killed 22 people. Sir John Saunders published the final report on 2 March 2023, making 169 recommendations across emergency response, security arrangements, and public safety.

The government accepted 164 recommendations (97%) and accepted 5 in principle (3%). Home Secretary Suella Braverman stated in Parliament on 6 March 2023 that the government would 'carefully consider the report's findings and recommendations in full' and committed to ensuring lessons were learned. A recommendations tracking dashboard was subsequently published.

Progress updates from February 2026 indicate that 78 recommendations (46%) are recorded as completed and 91 (54%) remain in progress. Key developments documented include the publication of Joint Operating Principles Version 3 for responding to terrorist attacks, establishment of a new multi-agency radio control system, and introduction of the Ten Second Triage system for major incidents.

Several working groups and programmes have been established, including the Clinical Response to Major Incidents group and the Stronger Local Resilience Forum trailblazer programme. The Security Industry Authority has worked with the Health and Safety Executive to develop enhanced first aid training incorporating the inquiry's recommendations.

However, multiple recommendations show limited documented progress nearly three years after publication. Several relating to legislative changes, including extending Security Industry Authority licensing and reforms to the Inquiries Act 2005, remain under consideration. The development of a healthcare standard for events, while noted as progressing with research projects complete, is not due for publication until 2026. The Clinical Response to Major Incidents group has revised its timeline to 2027 due to resource constraints.

The Ministry of Justice has stated there are no current plans to increase maximum sentences under the Inquiries Act, despite this being recommended. Various guidance documents and approved professional practices are noted as being developed but have not yet been published according to the available evidence.
Reforms attributed to this inquiry · AI-generated- Joint Operating Principles (JOPs) Version 3 published and signed off by tri-services following the inquiry, containing additional principles for responding to Marauding Terrorist Attacks
- New multi-agency radio control talk group established, shared between police, fire and ambulance services and monitored 24/7 in control rooms
- Ten Second Triage system introduced for first responders at major incidents, including appropriate visible identifiers and triage labels
- Sector-specific Emergency First Aid at Work certificate developed by Security Industry Authority with Health and Safety Executive, incorporating inquiry-recommended training areas
- Clinical Response to Major Incidents (CRMI) working group established to implement healthcare-related recommendations
- Public Access Trauma Kit contents clinically reviewed and finalised, with specifications published on PROTECT UK website
- New operational and tactical commanders training devised and launched to police forces
- Stronger Local Resilience Forum trailblazer programme launched in spring 2025 with five participating LRFs: Cumbria, Greater Manchester, London, Northumbria and Suffolk
Unfinished business · AI-generated- Recommendation on extending Security Industry Authority licensing requirements for CCTV monitoring and security contractors - noted as requiring legislative change but no evidence of progress
- Recommendations relating to reforms of the Inquiries Act 2005 - Cabinet Office noted as considering wider reforms but no specific action documented
- Recommendation to increase maximum sentence for Inquiries Act offences - Ministry of Justice stated there are no current plans to increase the maximum sentence
- Multiple recommendations relating to the development of a healthcare standard for events - research projects noted as complete but standard not yet published (due 2026)
- Legislative changes on analgesia - consultation document being drafted by Department of Health and Social Care but not yet published
- National Events guidance - noted as currently being developed but not yet published
- Command and control approved professional practice (APP) - due for launch in 2025 but not yet published

Findings about the inquiry's recommendations as a whole

Home Office Consultation (18 Dec 2025)
This site's summary of the finding: Government consultation opened 18 December 2025 on monitored recommendations 7 and 8: whether in-house CCTV operators should be SIA-licensed (MR7) and whether security contractors should be licensed (MR8). Closes 12 March 2026.
Cabinet Office (14 Nov 2025)
This site's summary of the finding: Government published formal Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations dashboard on GOV.UK (14 November 2025) tracking all 149 recommendations with implementation progress updates.
UK Parliament (3 Apr 2025)
This site's summary of the finding: Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent 3 April 2025. Creates two tiers: Standard Duty (200-799 capacity) and Enhanced Duty (800+). SIA will be regulator. Not yet in force -- at least 24 months before enforcement (expected April 2027).
National Police Chiefs Council (5 Jun 2023)
This site's summary of the finding: NPCC, Counter Terrorism Policing and College of Policing provided comprehensive updates to Sir John Saunders demonstrating "continued drive to improve collective response to terrorist incidents."

Key facts

Duration: 3 years, 4 months Total reported cost: £36.3m Witnesses: 291 Hearing days: 196 Report pages: 1,346