This web page and our venue hire guidance document provide advice and guidance on allowing premises to be used for external purposes/speakers. They set out how we can effectively apply additional rules and conditions to mitigate/minimise risks as part of the Prevent Duty.
The Prevent Duty
Prevent is part of the government counter-terrorism strategy, it's designed to tackle the problem of terrorism at its roots, preventing people from supporting terrorism or becoming involved in terrorism themselves.
There are individuals and groups that advocate or promote extreme views including hatred, divisions, and the use of violence. These speakers may also have the potential to create community tension, media attention, and damage the reputation of your venue/business.
There are many varied ideologies that motivate people and groups and you have to take care to find a balance that takes account of the right to free speech, human rights and equality - for example the Human Rights Act 1998 (external link).
Responding to the threat
- To tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, Prevent focuses on reducing the influence of radicalisers on susceptible audiences, as well as reducing the availability of, and access to, terrorist content
- In the UK, the primary domestic terrorist threat comes from Islamist terrorism. Islamist terrorism is the threat or use of violence as a means to establish a strict interpretation of an Islamic society
- Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism describes those involved in extreme right-wing activity who use terrorist violence to further their ideology. These ideologies can be broadly characterised as Cultural Nationalism, White Nationalism and White Supremacism.
Individuals and groups may subscribe to ideological trends and ideas from more than one category. Established terrorist narratives exhibit common themes such as antisemitism, misogyny, Incels (Involuntary Celibate), anti-establishment, anti-LGBTQ plus grievances and religious or ethnic superiority.
More information can be found through the links below:
Roles, responsibilities and resources
Our venue hire guidance document will help you to consider the potential for any risks that need to be managed when taking venue bookings for events. It provides a starting point to identify and address concerns where you’re unsure about an organisation, group or individuals.
You may use the guidance document to help you to assess the risk and consider the options. The decision to accept a room booking or support an activity and whether to take further action is your organisation's responsibility.
This guidance document should be used alongside your existing policies and procedures for booking events and speakers. Make sure that you store any information in line with your records management policy and data protection arrangements.
Where an event/activity is to go ahead, consider making additional conditions to make sure that it’s managed properly and make it clear that breaching these conditions could lead to cancellation. Examples of such mitigation could include:
- Making an event/activity open to the public
- Mandatory attendance of persons who can provide an alternative voice to ensure fair debate
- Giving guidelines regarding language or topics that will not be tolerated
- Insisting on an independent chairperson or observer
- Restricting the sale of alcohol or other products
- Asking speakers to provide copies of presentations in advance and agree not to deviate from this
- Restricting what banners, placards, leaflets, electronic materials etc are allowed at the event/activities
- Insisting that an event is recorded in case of future complaint.
Please note
The venue hire guidance document has been produced as a template for guidance. This is for information only and Wigan Council is not responsible for any actions taken by the venue/user of this guidance document. If any advice is required in relation to this document, please contact the Prevention Hub team.
The guidance document will be periodically reviewed in line with any National threat level changes.
You can view the current threat level to the UK from terrorism on the GOV.UK website (external link).