HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER - 22AND ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Hillsborough, the largest stadium disaster in British football history. On the 15th April 1989 Liverpool faced Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final which took place at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough. 96 Liverpool fans went to watch their team play that day and never returned home - they should never be forgotten. The Football Supporters’ Federation’s thoughts are with those who lost friends and family in the tragedy.

FINAL WORD FROM SIA CHIEL EXECUTIVE

SIA Chief Executive Bill Butler closed the conference by reflecting on a busy and challenging year for the industry and highlighting the day's key themes. He noted the progress that has been made so far, and the significant input from the industry. Looking to the future, Bill told delegates that coming years will see new legislation for the private security industry to allow for business licensing, individual registration and a change to the regulator's status. Bill Butler thanked the speakers, saying they had given delegates a clear understanding of where the SIA and the industry stood currently. Drawing out the day's key themes, Bill talked about the feeling amongst some delegates that regulation should not change, saying that the way the industry is regulated has to move on. He talked about the large scale of the transition, and highlighted the need for maintaining the level of engagement with the industry and stakeholders throughout the transition. He drew attention to the work of the Security Alliance in trying to bring together views from across the industry. Bill acknowledged the strong feeling amongst delegates that their investment in the Approved Contractor Scheme and the investment of individual licence holders must be maintained - the new regime must build on this. He said: "The new regime needs to learn from both good and bad past experiences and anticipate what the industry will need in the future. Extensive consultation will be needed and this engagement will inform the detail of the new regulatory regime. I ask you to get involved and tell the SIA what you are thinking. I thank delegates for their time, their support and their involvement."