Recommendation MAI-68: Up-to-date site-specific plans for high-risk locations
From Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response, published 3 November 2022.
Recommendation
North West Ambulance Service should ensure that it has up-to-date site-specific plans for all large, complex or high-risk locations within its area.
In brief (written by this site)
A Cabinet Office update in February 2026 recorded the recommendation as completed, stating that site-specific plans had been reviewed, updated, and shared on an internal ambulance service system and on Resilience Direct (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It noted that the plans are reviewed on a cycle of one to three years, while new national events guidance was being developed to support partnership planning and information sharing (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026).
Sources
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.
Government response
Accepted in full
Delivery
Cabinet Office says completed (27 February 2026)
Improving Event Planning - Processes have been strengthened in relation to the capturing and sharing learning from events and related planning. This work strand builds upon these improvements, with new national Events guidance currently being developed. This will include the approach to partnership planning and engagement with Safety Advisory Group's (SAG), alongside sharing of emergency plans across the tri-service and wider partners. Site Specific Plans (SSP) have been reviewed and updated. To ensure wide distribution, these have also been shared on a North West Ambulance System internal system and for other agencies on Resilience Direct (a HMG run web platform for exercising, planning, response and recovery. It can be accessed by all cross-Government Agencies). The plans are reviewed ranging from 1-3 years, but can also be updated for specific reasons (e.g. national changes/incident learning)
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (14 November 2025)
Improving Event Planning - Processes have been strengthened in relation to the capturing and sharing learning from events and related planning. This work strand builds upon these improvements, with new national Events guidance currently being developed. This will include the approach to partnership planning and engagement with Safety Advisory Group's (SAG), alongside sharing of emergency plans across the tri-service and wider partners. Site Specific Plans (SSP) have been reviewed and updated. To ensure wide distribution, these have also been shared on a North West Ambulance System internal system and for other agencies on Resilience Direct (a HMG run web platform for exercising, planning, response and recovery. It can be accessed by all cross-Government Agencies). The plans are reviewed ranging from 1-3 years, but can also be updated for specific reasons (e.g. national changes/incident learning)
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement