696 to stay

Met Police now say contentious Form 696 will not be scrapped

02 June 2009 - Calls for the controversial Form 696 to be scrapped may be ignored by a police review.

The Met Police have started a detailed analysis of the risk assessment form after a report from a cross parliamentary committee, backed by UK Music, called for the form to be abolished.

According to a top policeman: "It's going to remain".

Introduced in 2005, Form 696 demands London licensees give the personal details of musicians appearing at their venues and requires details of their likely target audience.

It sparked a strong reaction from Reverend And The Makers frontman Jon McClure and head of UK Music Feargal Sharkey, who felt strongly that the wording of the form targeted urban music events.

Effective crime prevention

The first part of the review kicked off two weeks ago with a meeting between industry chiefs, union bosses, DCMS representatives and Feargal Sharkey.

However, Ch Insp Adrian Studd, head of the Met's clubs and vice unit, told BBC 6 Music they won't get rid of it entirely.

"It might well change slightly to reflect the consultation process," he claimed. "But at the end of the day, if you have a consultation process you have to take note of what people say.

"I'm confident the form will be staying because it's a very effective crime prevention tool."
Ch Insp Adrian Studd

"The whole point of the form is to improve safety at events. I'm confident the form will be staying because it's a very effective crime prevention tool."

As for what happens now, Studd continued: "We have taken away all of the results from the discussion at that meeting and we're going to put together some proposals, a couple of changes to the form that we hope everyone will feel comfortable with and feel able to sign up to."

Frustration

Stephen Forster is head of the live division at MAMA group, whose venues have been affected by Form 696.

Following the recommendation from the DCMS Advisory Board that the form be abolished, Forster is discouraged it is going through another review process.

"We've been doing this consultative process for the best part of two years and views have already been sought and therefore there is no need to go back and discuss the matter again," he explained. "Everyone's had an input."

Forster reckons to achieve everyone's goal of putting on safe events, they need to have better communication with authorities, such as the fire department and environmental health officers, not just the police.

Georgie Rogers