Supplementary Memorandum submitted by Hamish Birchall

As you probably know, the Met's gig risk-assessment Form 696 has become a big issue for musicians since it was raised at the Committee's oral evidence sessions of the Licensing Act inquiry. An online petition on the Number 10 website calling on the PM to scrap the form is, at the time of writing, number 27 in the list of nearly 5000 petitions on that website with about 4,500 signatures:

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

Much has been made of the form's questions about the ethnicity of audiences.

However, I discovered yesterday that within the past few days the Met has cut those questions from Form 696, and has substituted a new, shorter version of the form:

http://www.met.police.uk/events/forms/form_696.doc

Nonetheless it now asks 'Who is the target audience?' and still includes the question about styles of music, citing RnB, Bashment and Garage by way of examples. It also still requires the names, addresses, and dates of birth of performers at least two weeks in advance of gigs. Failure to comply when enforced as licence condition under the Licensing Act 2003 is a potential criminal offence. Maximum penalty: £20,000 fine and six months inside.

Moreover, the Met's catch-all definition of events to which Form 696 applies remains part of many London councils' Statements of Licensing Policy. It makes no distinction between a pianist in bar or a large nightclub, nor between well run venues and the small minority with a history of problems:

'A significant event will be deemed to be: any occasion in a premises licensed under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003, where there will be a live performer(s) - meaning musicians, DJs, MCs or other artiste; that is promoted in some form by either the venue or an outside promoter; where entry is either free, by invitation, pay on the door or by ticket.'

[Croydon's Statement of Licensing Policy 07 January 2008]. See (PDF file):

http://www.croydon.gov.uk/contents/departments/business/pdf/599320/lpstatement.pdf

and search within the document for 'Significant Event'.

It may interest you to know that on Wednesday 17 December, along with a colleague who works for the Royal College of Music, I will meeting Commander Simon O'Brien, the ACPO officer with licensing responsibility, to discuss this issue and the Met's attitude to live music generally.

December 2008