EdLaw
The Prevent duty
The general duty on specified authorities (schools and colleges included, via Schedule 6) to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism, and the duty to have regard to Home Office guidance.
Section 26 — General duty on specified authorities
Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2025-09-01).
1 A specified authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
3 In the case of a specified authority listed in Schedule 6 in terms that refer to the exercise of particular functions or to a particular capacity that it has, the reference in subsection (1) to the authority's functions is to those functions or its functions when acting in that capacity.
- a a judicial function;
- b a function exercised on behalf of, or on the instructions of, a person exercising a judicial function;
- c a function in connection with proceedings in the House of Commons or the House of Lords;
- d a function in connection with proceedings in the Scottish Parliament;
- e a function in connection with proceedings in the National Assembly for Wales.
5 References to a judicial function include a reference to a judicial function conferred on a person other than a court or tribunal.
Section 29 — Power to issue guidance
Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2025-09-01).
1 The Secretary of State may issue guidance to specified authorities about the exercise of their duty under section 26(1).
- a may issue separate guidance in relation to different matters;
- b may issue guidance to all specified authorities, to particular specified authorities or to specified authorities of a particular description.
4 Before issuing guidance under subsection (1) the Secretary of State must (whether before or after this Act is passed) consult—
- a the Welsh Ministers so far as the guidance relates to the devolved Welsh functions of a devolved Welsh authority;
- b the Scottish Ministers so far as the guidance relates to the devolved Scottish functions of a Scottish authority;
- c any person whom the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
5 Guidance issued under subsection (1) takes effect on whatever day the Secretary of State appoints by regulations made by statutory instrument.
A statutory instrument containing regulations under this subsection may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before each House of Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.
8 Subsection (4) has effect in relation to any revised guidance unless the Secretary of State considers that the proposed revisions to the guidance are insubstantial.
9 The Secretary of State must publish the current version of any guidance issued under this section.
Sources
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All section text above is reproduced verbatim from the consolidated Act on legislation.gov.uk, extracted mechanically from the official XML. Each provision carries its official identifier as a trailing attribute anchor.