Inquiry into Manchester Arena attack gives families of those killed chance to speak next month

In July, Lord Bob Kerslake was appointed chairman of the review into how prepared the city was and how it responded to the atrocity.

Set up by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, the panel also includes a further four experts, who have now been appointed.

The panel is expected to open a six week window at the beginning of October when anyone affected by the attack, including the families of the 22 people who lost their lives and those who were injured, will be able to provide information from their point of view.

Emergency services staff will also be able to provide an opinion if they wish.

The panel's findings are expected to be published in January 2018 with a final report and recommendations expected in April.

Lord Kerslake, said: "I am determined to put people at the heart of this independent review which has been commissioned by the Mayor and aims to establish exactly what happened on the night and the days that followed.

"There is a separate group which is focusing on how the city’s recovery was and continues to be managed, but we will look in detail at how prepared the city was for a terrorist attack and how it responded in those initial moments."

Lord Kerslake said: "I am determined to make sure everyone who wishes to contribute information, evidence or comment generally on their experience of that night or the days after is able to.

"There will be a number of key lines of enquiry established to help us get to the facts of what happened before we’re able to properly understand how prepared we were and whether we could have done better.

"If the latter is true it’s important we’re able to make recommendations about lessons that need to be learned for the future."

The other panel members are:

-Margareta Wahlstrom, an expert in international disaster risk reduction and the UN Making Cities Resilient Campaign

-Ven Karen Lund, an advocate for local communities with a particular interest in mental health

-Alan Goodwin, an expert in humanitarian assistance in emergencies and policing

-Hugh Deeming, an academic with special interest in community resilience

The aims of the panel, as agreed by the Mayor acting in his capacity as Police and Crime Commissioner, include providing an independent review of how prepared Greater Manchester was for the attack.

The panel is specifically tasked with identifying the elements of the preparation and response that worked well, as well as quickly identifying where improvements can be made.

This will help responders be better prepared and protect the lives of Greater Manchester’s residents and visitors in the future.

The review will be part of an ongoing process and any recommendations that are made will be followed up so that any lessons identified are not lost.

The final report in April will advise on areas of particular effectiveness and any that might inform future good practice, as well as on what steps might be taken on areas that could be strengthened or improved.