Sharkey warns police action is “disproportionate”

17:14 | Tuesday November 18, 2008

Sharkey has written to Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and Information Commissioner Richard Thomas to clarify the “use and purpose” of form 696, which asks for personal details on artists and musicians performing at gigs and the style of music they will be playing.

The police are asking for the information to be supplied to them at least 14 days before the gig or performance takes place.

Sharkey has told both men that there is no requirement in the Licensing Act 2003 for this type of information – the form asks for name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers, et cetera – to be gathered, despite evidence he has that the promotion/event risk assessment form is currently being used in 21 London boroughs.

Sharkey complains that the Government’s own guidance for the Act states that any police intervention should be “light touch”. In his letter to Sir Ian he writes, “The collection of this personal Data by the Met Police in advance of a musical performance is not light touch. In explicitly singling out performances and musical styles favoured by the black community: garage and R&B, and MCs and DJs, we believe the use of risk assessment form 696 is disproportionate, unacceptable and damaging to live music in the UK.”

Sharkey asks Sir Ian to explain why the forms were sanctioned and how many have been processed. Further, he asks Thomas where the information collected is stored, how long the information is kept on record and whether it is “cross checked” with other databases.

“We would like to be able to explain how personal details of individual artists are going to be used by the authorities,” writes Sharkey.