Parliament

CONTEST is the UK’s comprehensive counter terrorism strategy, and it’s overarching aim is to reduce the risk to the UK and its citizens and interests overseas from terrorism, so that our people can go about their lives freely and with confidence. As announced in October 2022, CONTEST is being updated to protect the public from new and emerging threats and will be published later this year.

Since CONTEST was last published in June 2018, we have delivered a number of measures to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks. We have established the Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre, pulling together expertise and resource across police, intelligence agencies and the criminal justice system in order to better identify and tackle emerging threats. The Multi-Agency Centre works in partnership to better understand the national security risk posed by individuals who are or have been subject to national security investigations, bringing together existing expertise within the counter-terrorism community and working in partnership with experts in offender management, social care and safeguarding.

The Home Office is in the process of setting up an assurance programme to oversee delivery of accepted recommendations from the Manchester Arena Inquiry. We are committed to implementing the recommendations of The Independent Review of Prevent swiftly, with the majority within one year of publication. This will pave the way for a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable Prevent programme.

We have also strengthened our legislation; The Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act received Royal Assent in 2019 to ensure the police, Security Services, prosecutors, and the judiciary have the powers they need to tackle the evolving threat posed to the UK by terrorism. Martyn’s Law, which is currently is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny, will keep people safe by introducing proportionate new security requirements for certain public venues to ensure preparedness for, and protection from, terrorist attacks. The Online Safety Bill, which will make tech companies will be accountable to an independent regulator to keep their users safe is currently progressing through the House of Lords.