Recommendation MAI-21: Firearms officer training on Operation Plato

From Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response, published 3 November 2022.

Recommendation

Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters and the College of Policing should ensure that all firearms officers, including firearms commanders, receive adequate training in Operation Plato, including in what such a declaration means and the demands it will place upon them. This should include instruction in the importance of zoning, communicating zoning decisions to other emergency services and joint working with those other services in the course of the response to an Operation Plato situation.

Jurisdiction: UK-wide

In brief (written by this site)

In a February 2026 update published on the Cabinet Office dashboard, the addressees recorded the recommendation as completed (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The update stated that revised and refreshed training for strategic firearms command, cadre tactical firearms commanders, and operational firearms commanders had been implemented nationally, and that the work strand was closed via NPCC governance in May 2024 (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK government had previously accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).

Sources

Cabinet Office, Feb 2026

Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.

About this summary

This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.

Government response

Accepted UK Government

14 Nov 2025

Response document: Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations (GOV.UK page linking to the Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard)

Speaker not recorded. Source: Cabinet Office, Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard (government response status), 14 November 2025

Accepted in full

Delivery

Cabinet Office says completed (27 February 2026)

New Training for Firearms Officers and Commanders - Revised and refreshed training for both strategic firearms command (SFC), cadre tactical firearms commanders (Cadre TFC) and operational firearms commanders (OFCs) has now been implemented nationally. This work strand has been closed via NPCC Governance May 2024.

From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard

Earlier statement on delivery (1)

Cabinet Office (14 November 2025)

From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)