Federation calls for 'simple systems' and light-touch regulation for 'Martyn's Law'

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) - representing over 550 clubs and museums - has called on the industry regulator to provide more help for volunteers running classic vehicle events.

Responding to the regulator's consultation on how it should carry out its role, the FBHVC calls for an approach that is "constructive and sympathetic, not overly-bureaucratic and critical.”

Crucially Martyn's Law will particularly affect events where more than 800 people (including traders etc) will be on a site at any one time as proactive public protection measures will have to be considered and implemented as necessary. Organisations will be required to notify details of events and security plans in advance to the regulator the Security Industry Authority (SIA). How this is to be done, and the level of detail required has yet to be revealed by the SIA.

The FBHVC surveyed clubs and found a wide mix of types of event, largely organised by very small teams of volunteers with limited budgets.

Concerns were raised that the unique nature of classic vehicle events, meant that understanding the guidance - which appears to be aimed at commercial enterprises running pop concerts and the like - is proving challenging.

Therefore, the FBHVC calls for the SIA to set up a hotline, to provide the guidance and advice that is currently lacking.

Setting out the call for action, FBHVC Legislation Director Lindsay Irvine explains:

"As covered in detail in Edition 10 of Historic, the appointed regulator under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn's Law), the Security Industry Authority (SIA), has been consulting on the statutory guidance on how it should carry out its role. 

"The consultation is now closed and the Federation has made a detailed submission on what we expected from the regulator in fulfilling its professed aim "to be proportionate, consistent, transparent, accountable and targeted only at cases in which action is needed.” 

"In summary, whilst agreeing with that aspiration, we submitted that since overwhelmingly our member clubs are staffed by volunteers, we wanted an approach which is constructive and sympathetic and not overly bureaucratic and critical.  

"We asked for evidence of their aspiration suggesting:

a. A helpline to provide specific advice and guidance to organisers particularly in relation to assisting them with assessing what might be proportionate and reasonable protection measures for their event.

b. That they ensure that in the light of experience, the statutory Home Office guidance is amended to include more examples of what is proportionate and reasonable in different scenarios and a comprehensive compendium of FAQs.

"We indicated that our clubs organise events which in terms of attendance fall at every part of the spectrum, their size is often quite disproportionate to the size of the club.

"As volunteer organisations they are likely to experience difficulties with aspects of compliance and we asked for a light touch to any inspection and enforcement action with a default setting of providing tailored guidance and assistance.

"Finally, we asked that the next set of regulations which will set out the instructions for notifications etc, should be simple and straightforward and the costs of compliance for non-commercial organisations kept as low as possible.

"The Federation extends its considerable thanks to the many clubs who responded to the short-notice request for information on their events and input to the Federation response.

"That swift survey indeed confirmed the breadth of events, small and large, which our fantastic members organise.

"We believe that, whilst much of the new government guidance on compliance is clear, making decisions on what are 'reasonable and proportionate' public protection measures for larger events remain a challenge, which we hope and expect the SIA to be sympathetic to as it gears up for implementation in spring 2027.”  

The FBHVC's full response can be viewed here: https://fbhvc.co.uk/consultations

More details about Martyn's Law and its requirements are here: https://fbhvc.co.uk/martyns-law