A petition has been started on the Prime Minister's website calling for Form 696 to be scrapped:

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

 

It also states: 'The 696 Form compels licensees who wish to hold live music events in 21 London Boroughs to report to the police the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and most worryingly, the likely ethnicity of their audience. Failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment. We believe this places unnecessary and frankly Orwellian powers in the hands of the Metropolitan Police, an institution which does not have the best record of racial fairness. The 696 form can only serve to deter the staging of live musical events - a positive form of activity in London and all cities - stifle free expression and quite possible penalise certain genres of music and ethnic audiences.

 

 

Many thanks and regards
Sylvia Rushbrooke~Proprietaire
Le QuecumBar & Brasserie
“London’s world premier Gypsy Swing venue”
42-44 Battersea High St
London SW11 3HX
0207 787 2227
info_at_quecumbar_dot_co_dot_uk
All music listed on www.quecumbar.co.uk
and blog at www.myspace.com/lequecumbar
Home of Le Q Records capturing live moments of musical magic
Unique live music venue specialising in promoting
Django Reinhardt - Gypsy Swing and those who perform it. -
A style born in 30's Paris drawing on nearly 2000 years of Gypsy culture.
Proud to have the support and approval of our world class musician patrons:
Angelo DeBarre French Gypsy.
John Jorgenson USA
Dave Kelbie UK
John Etheridge UK
Lollo Meier Dutch Gypsy
Robin Nolan Holland
Hank Marvin UK
Andreas Oberg Sweden
Stephane Wrembel France
Ritary Gaguenetti French Gypsy
Biel Ballester Trio Spain
Gary Potter UK
Moreno French Gypsy