Review licensing for security contractors
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 1: Security for the Arena · Issued 17 June 2021
Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Nov 2025)
DeliveryCabinet Office says completed (Feb 2026)Home Office says in progress (Feb 2026)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Consideration should be given to whether contractors who carried out security services should be required to be licenced.
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 1: Security for the Arena · 17 Jun 2021 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
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).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.
Government response
●UK Government · Accepted · 14 Nov 2025
Accepted in full
Response document: Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations (GOV.UK page linking to the Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard)
Delivery
●Cabinet Office says completed · 27 Feb 2026
This recommendation is now complete.
●Home Office says in progress · 24 Feb 2026
Furthermore, the Government remains committed to delivering the intended outcomes of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, including Monitored Recommendations 7 and 8 which relate to licensing of in-house operatives and security businesses. The Home Office launched a 12-week public consultation on 18 December 2025 to help better understand the impact of the proposals for change. The consultation aims to inform proposals that will ensure high quality oversight of the private security industry, while ensuring any new costs and regulatory burdens are proportionate and consider impact on business.
From: Security Guards: Licensing (written question UIN 112782)
Earlier statements on delivery (0)
●Home Office · 18 Dec 2025
Today the Government is launching a public consultation relating to the private security industry, specifically Manchester Arena Inquiry Monitored Recommendations MR7 (in-house CCTV operatives should be licensed by the Security Industry Authority) and MR8 (security businesses should be licensed by the Security Industry Authority).
From: Consultation on Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations 7 and 8 (written statement HCWS1211)
●Home Office · 15 Dec 2025
The Home Office plans to consider options in regards to Manchester Arena Monitored recommendations 7 and 8 in due course.
From: Consultation on Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations 7 and 8 (written statement HCWS1167)
●Cabinet Office · 14 Nov 2025
Home Office Ministers recently committed to reviewing recommendations MR7 and MR8 with a view to delivering on their intent; namely to deliver better uniformity of standards in the private security industry, enhanced provision of security services, and effective counter-terrorism measures.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
What other bodies have found
●Security Industry Authority · 23 Jun 2026
We are also ready to implement any changes approved by the government to the statutory business approvals regime, including the proposals to make business licensing mandatory following the consultation on Manchester Arena Inquiry Monitored Recommendation 8.
How this page is built
The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.