The Stage

Petition against ‘Orwellian’ police form for gigs

Published Friday 5 December 2008 at 14:20 by Alistair Smith

A petition has been launched to scrap the use of a controversial police form, which campaigners claim is preventing venues across London from staging live music.

The 696 form is designed by the Metropolitan Police. It demands the names, addresses and dates of birth of all performers two weeks in advance of a gig and has been adapted by a number of London boroughs as a requirement for licensing music events.

More than 2,500 people have already signed the petition on the prime minister’s website to scrap the use of the form. The petition complains: “The 696 Form compels licensees who wish to hold live music events in 21 London boroughs to report to the police the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and most worryingly, the likely ethnicity of their audience.

“Failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment. We believe this places unnecessary and frankly Orwellian powers in the hands of the Metropolitan Police… The 696 form can only serve to deter the staging of live musical events - a positive form of activity in London and all cities - stifle free expression and quite possible penalise certain genres of music and ethnic audiences. It is an intrusion too far.”

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696