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Government Says No to Managed Prostitution Zones: More Support for Women to Leave Prostitution Coupled with Action Against Kerb-Crawlers

17 January 2006

The Government today announced its long-term strategy for reducing street prostitution, ruling out the idea of "managed zones" for prostitution.

The Prostitution Strategy published today promises:

better enforcement of laws against kerb-crawling and those who exploit prostitutes
more opportunities for women to leave prostitution, including better links between police and projects that work with prostitutes
an increased focus on preventing children, particularly vulnerable children, from being lured into prostitution

To reduce the demand for street prostitution and bring to justice those who exploit individuals through prostitution, the Government and local authorities will encourage proactive policing of kerb-crawling by local police forces, and greater enforcement of penalties such as removal of driving licences from repeat offenders.

The Strategy proposes creating a new penalty for the offence of loitering or soliciting for prostitution, so that courts can direct women into services to help deal with drug or alcohol dependency treatment. To ensure fewer people enter prostitution, reduce the harm it causes and offer routes out, the Government and local authorities will also:

ensure that drug treatment programmes, other health services, and supported accommodation are available to women who want to get out of prostitution
use the recently published UK Action Plan on Trafficking to target traffickers
expand the successful Ugly Mugs scheme, already running in various areas, which informs prostitutes about violent punters in order to protect them, and link this system with Crimestoppers information
produce a guide to services available for women in prostitution who suffer violent or sexual crimes
ensure that ASBOs, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Intervention Orders are used in conjunction with local support projects, and do not stop prostitutes from getting help
change the definition of a brothel so that two prostitutes can work together. Respondents said this was vital to increase the safety of women working in prostitution

Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said:

"Prostitution blights communities and the lives of those who participate. While kerb-crawlers could choose not to pay for sex, women involved in prostitution often have very limited choices in life. They come from difficult backgrounds, might have drug problems or nowhere safe to live. I want them to have help and support to leave prostitution.

"The communities who suffer the side effects of prostitution end up with no choice over what happens on their streets – and they are the ones who see used condoms on the streets, who live in fear of innocent women being abused or attacked and who have the stigma of living in a red-light area.

"We will not eradicate prostitution overnight, but we must not condone this exploitative industry. I want to see a tough approach to kerb-crawling, combined with much better work to prevent children being drawn into prostitution and give those involved a route out."

Speaking specifically about 'managed zones' for prostitution, Fiona Mactaggart said:

"I cannot accept that we should turn a blind eye to a problem that causes misery for people living in or near red-light areas. There is no evidence that decriminalisation or licensing prostitution would achieve our objectives of reducing exploitation, improving the safety of those involved, and making local communities safer."

To prevent children entering prostitution, the Government will tighten up child protection guidance for social workers, focusing on those children who are most at risk of being lured into prostitution, such as those not in proper education and those leaving care. It will also create a guide for schools to be aware of the risks and early signs of prostitution, and help devise training for police officers, teachers and nurses to spot the signs and risks of sexual exploitation.

Other measures to tackle the demand for prostitution include:

where appropriate, and only for a first-time offender with no other convictions for sexual offences, offering kerb-crawler re-education programmes as an alternative to prosecution
naming and shaming those convicted of kerb-crawling

Fiona Mactaggart added:

"There is some truly excellent work going on around the country to help women get out of prostitution. I want to see more projects working well with local police forces, councils and crime prevention groups to link up all those with an interest in making our streets safer."

The Strategy has five key aims:

prevention – awareness-raising, prevention and early intervention measures to stop individuals, particularly children and young people, from becoming involved in prostitution
tackling demand – responding to community concerns by deterring those who create the demand and removing the opportunity for street prostitution to take place
developing routes out – proactively engaging with those involved in prostitution to provide a range of support and advocacy services to help them leave prostitution
ensuring justice - bringing to justice those who exploit individuals through prostitution, and those who commit violent and sexual offences against those involved in prostitution
tackling off-street prostitution - targeting commercial sexual exploitation, in particular where victims are young or have been trafficked

Notes to editors:

1. The Prostitution Strategy, including a summary of the responses received to the Government's consultation, is published today and is available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-paying-the-price (new window), or from the Home Office Press Office. The then Home Secretary first announced the Prostitution Review in July 2004. A four month consultation period resulted in over 800 responses to the Home Office.

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