Metropolitan police are set to alter Form 696 for risk assessment in live music, following a series of protests.
Form 696 was introduced last year as a means of aiding police in assessing the risk of live music events. However it was met with a hail of protests after Metropolitan officials introduced a section asking the ethnicity of music fans, and also the type of music played.
Reverend And The Makers singer Jon McClure was one of the most prominent critics of the form. The frontman frequently spoke out against its use, even going so far as to label the form’s inclusion of questions about ethnicity as being racist.
One time Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey is the head of the UK Music group, and went head to head with the Metropolitan police over the form’s use. Arguing that it would hurt the music industry Sharkey met with police on several occasions to discuss the use of Form 696.
Now BBC News reports that the form has been altered to exclude any questions about ethnicity and the style of music. The form had previously received criticism from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Responding to the news the form was to be revised, UK Music said in a statement: “The Metropolitan Police review process for this risk assessment form has not been conducted in a fully transparent way, and we would like to make it clear that UK Music has not been part of this review.
“UK Music stands by our position in support of the recommendations of the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport.
“Form 696 should not be amended. It should be scrapped.”
In response Chief Superintendent Richard Martin, who is head of the Metropolitan Police’s clubs and vice unit, told BBC News that there had been “some clumsy bits” on the form.
“It’s about taking those things out and stopping the worry. I don’t think it was discriminatory.”
