The controversial form 696, you know, that form the Metropolitan police have been making live music promoters fill out in order to get public performance licences in London, should be scrapped. I think most of us have been saying that for a while now, but this time its Parliament's Culture Select Committee making the recommendation, which might have more impact.
As much previously reported, the 696 form has been criticised for asking for too much personal data about artists due to perform at gigs, and for enquiring very specifically about what genre an event would fall under, information possibly used by police and licensing officials to make prejudicial judgements about what kind of people any one gig might attract.
UK Music chief Feargal Sharkey brought the form to more widespread attention when giving evidence to the aforementioned committee's investigation into the impact of the 2003 Licensing Act. It is under powers given to local authorities under that act that the form has been adopted across London. Sharkey fears the form may be adopted by councils elsewhere in the UK too. Sharkey and others have called for the form to be scrapped, and yesterday the Committee backed that proposal.
The Committee has also backed two more of the live music business's big proposals regarding the new licensing legislation - that venues with a capacity under 200 should be exempt from the rather bureaucratic licensing process introduced by the Act, and that up to two acoustic musicians should be allowed to play in a bar without a licence.
The Committee's chairman, John Whittingdale, said yesterday that he thought the 2003 Act had, on the whole, been a success, but that some problems had arose which should now be addressed. He told reporters: "Broadly speaking the Licensing Act has in our view been a success. The Act has simplified the licensing system, bringing together a number of different regimes into one licence. There is also a greater diversity of premises on the high street and the Act's emphasis on partnership working is welcome. However in some areas it is clearly not working. The licensing requirements are still too bureaucratic and costly - particularly for non-commercial groups such as sports clubs, not-for-profit establishments and organisers of occasional events. We were also particularly concerned to hear of the way the Act may be hampering live music performances especially by young musicians, who often get their first break though performing live at small venues such as pubs. Our Report calls on the Government to relax restrictions in this area, which in some cases are unnecessarily draconian, and in others simply absurd".
The report will please the live music sector, endorsing as it does, three of their proposals. Sharkey, who in his previous job as head of the Live Music Forum closely monitored the impact of the new Act on the live music community, said yesterday: "I am delighted with the Committee's report. There is little doubt that the Licensing Act 2003 has hindered the staging of live music and created unnecessary barriers to the promotion of live events. This is particularly true at a grass roots level. In the midst of recession and with an increased emphasis placed on our creative industries to stimulate the economy, it is paramount that we should be pulling together and creating opportunities. Live music can have a hugely positive economic impact both locally and nationally. I call on government as a matter of some urgency to take heed of the Committee's views and take quick and assertive action".
Of course that latter point is the crucial one. The Committee's support is valuable to the live sector, but it remains to be seen if government follow its recommendations and tweak the licensing laws accordingly.