Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of sexual exploitation that lodgers and those renting private rooms are exposed to.

The Government is aware of the reports and concerns surrounding the practice of ‘sex for rent.’ Offering accommodation in return for sex or sexual favours is illegal and those who do so can face up to seven years in prison.

Protecting those who are vulnerable from exploitation is one of the Government’s key priorities and we are working with the police and CPS to ensure that those profiting from exploitation are dealt with criminally.

The law on sexual assault is clear and unequivocal. We expect every report of sexual violence to be treated seriously from the time it is reported, every victim to be treated with dignity, and every investigation and prosecution to be conducted thoroughly and professionally.