Form 696 causes a fuss

The Independent reports on the criticism surrounding Risk Assessment Form 696 which was introduced in 2006 and has now been adopted by 21 London boroughs.

This form has attracted criticism for a variety of reasons, most serious of which are the claims of racial claiming. In a letter to the former Met chief Sir Ian Blair, Feargal Sharkey wrote:

In explicitly singling out performances and musical styles favoured by the black community we believe the use of Risk Assessment Form 696 is disproportionate, unacceptable and damaging to live music

Not only has Mr Sharkey now complained to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, but the Musician’s Union is apparently consulting lawyers on the basis that the privacy of their members may be affected – the form asks for the names, addresses and phone numbers of all performers.

For those that haven’t seen it, this is what the form looks like:

Others reporting on the furore include The London Daily News, the NME and musician/promoter Rich Batsford links to the Number 10 petion and Facebook group that have been started.

The report in The Independent raises the prospect of this practice extending to other cities. However, it already seems to be the case elsewhere in the country that police forces have standard conditions relating to ‘risk events’. Have you come across this in your area?