Risk-based visitor restrictions for radicalising prisoners
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 3: Radicalisation and Preventability · Issued 2 March 2023 · Addressed to: Home Office
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
It is recommended that the Home Office consider introducing a system based on a robust assessment of the risk a prisoner poses for radicalisation of others. This system should allow for proportionate restrictions to be applied to visitors to that person. Controls such as prohibiting vulnerable visitors where justified or ensuring conversations are supervised should be among the options available in the case of a prisoner who poses a particular risk to others
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 3: Radicalisation and Preventability · 2 Mar 2023 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Enhanced Contact Vetting Scheme (ECV) was introduced on 9 June 2025 under the Authorised Communications Controls and Interceptions policy framework (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
- ECV limits terrorist prisoners to a maximum of 20 social contacts, all subject to identification checks and Counter Terrorism Police vetting (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
- ECV replaces the previously intended Approved Contacts Scheme that never came into force (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
Home Secretary Suella Braverman made a statement to Parliament on 6 March 2023 following publication of Volume 3 on 2 March 2023. She stated: 'We will carefully consider the report's findings and recommendations in full' and committed to ensuring 'that we learn the lessons from this tragic incident, and improve our operational responses.' The government subsequently published a recommendations tracking dashboard and is implementing recommendations through legislative and operational measures including the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act (Martyn's Law). No formal per-recommendation written response has been published.
UK Government · 6 Mar 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2026 The new Enhanced Contact Vetting Scheme (ECV) was introduced on 9 June 2025 under section 23 the Authorised Communications Controls and Interceptions (ACCI) policy framework. ECV enables us to conduct more vigorous checks and monitoring of those visiting or communicating with our highest-risk prisoners and prevents any possible vulnerabilities from being exploited by potential radicalisers. ECV applies to all terrorist prisoners, limiting them to a maximum of 20 social contacts, ensuring they are only able to contact and communicate with individuals who have been subject to identification checks and Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) vetting. ECV replaces the intended Approved Contacts Scheme (ACS) that never came into force. This development is now complete. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 The Authorised Communications Controls and Interception Policy Framework was published in September 2022. This provides rules and guidance for prison staff to manage prisoner communications across prisons and Young Offenders Institutions. HMPPS has set up a new National Counter Terrorism Communications Centre, which dramatically increases our capacity and capability to monitor the authorised phone communications of our highest risk CT nominals in prisons. In collaboration with partners, the Centre will also conduct more vigorous vetting checks of those visiting or communicating with our highest risk prisoners. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 · Cabinet Office Government published formal Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations dashboard on GOV.UK (14 November 2025) tracking all 149 recommendations with implementation progress updates. View source → Reasonable Progress
- 3 Apr 2025 · UK Parliament 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). View source → Reasonable Progress
- 5 Jun 2023 · National Police Chiefs Council 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." View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.