Manchester Arena bombing inquiry: Families slam 'excuses' and call on police and government to act to ensure lessons are learned

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Families of those who died in the Manchester Arena terror attack today called on the government and police to act to ensure lessons are learned after the long-running public inquiry into the atrocity came to a close.

The three-year £32m independent inquiry came to a close today (Wednesday) after three days of hearings to establish if a series of bodies - including Greater Manchester Police and government departments - had acted on a series of 'monitored recommendations' made by chairman Sir John Saunders, who had found a series of catastrophic failings by the emergency and security services.

Sir John said some organisations had been 'somewhat slow' to act and he urged the Home Secretary to ensure public scrutiny of the implementation of his recommendations continues to be done, potentially by the home affairs select committee of Parliament. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link He expressed frustration that the Department of Health and Social Care appears to have blocked efforts by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure the 'unregulated' healthcare provided at large events at pop concerts and music festivals comes within its powers.

The inquiry heard thousands of people are 'exposed to danger' because the sector was not regulated. After the public inquiry came to a close, families expressed anger at an apparent reluctance on the government to move, particularly as the CQC has told the inquiry the sector had been responsible for 'unsafe care, abuse and deaths'.