Require a licence for prostitution
- 44 Signatures
(Estimated Final Signatures: 56 - 1 added in the past 24hrs)
By making it so a licence is needed for prostitution, we think it would mean that more vulnerable people, such as underage people, people on drugs or people with mental health issues could be stopped from being prostitutes.
Found: Prostitution is currently legal in the UK which we think means people who are more vulnerable could be
Mar. 13 2025
Source Page: Prostitution ringleader has sentence doubledFound: Prostitution ringleader has sentence doubled
Nov. 19 2008
Source Page: Tackling the demand for prostitution: a review. 25 p.Found: Tackling the demand for prostitution: a review. 25 p.
Found: Written evidence submitted by the Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution (CAP International) (CPB40
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of "prostitute’s cautions", on opportunities for employment and other stigmatisation of those affected and what relationship this holds with the natural right to justice; and whether they plan to abolish such cautions.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
For too long, people have been trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution. This Government will use every lever available to stop this. As prostitution is an extremely complex issue and there are a wide range of potential legislative approaches, further work is required to understand the options. We are currently considering policy options on how we can best support those impacted by prostitution and sexual exploitation as part of work towards a new strategy on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls.
Jan. 11 2011
Source Page: Setting the record: The trafficking of migrant women in the England and Wales off-street prostitution sector. 58 p.Found: Setting the record: The trafficking of migrant women in the England and Wales off-street prostitution
Oct. 28 2024
Source Page: Emergency funding available to women engaged in prostitution: FOI releaseFound: Emergency funding available to women engaged in prostitution: FOI release
Sep. 17 2024
Source Page: Correspondence regarding Prostitution Strategy: FOI releaseFound: Correspondence regarding Prostitution Strategy: FOI release
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of women who are being advertised for sexual exploitation on websites advertising prostitution in Gower.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this ambition.
We have not estimated the number of women being advertised on websites advertising prostitution in Gower, but the Government recognises that adult service websites are the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and sites, including adult service websites, will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
In addition, the Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.
The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the scale of commercial sexual exploitation across the country.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of our levers available to deliver.
The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target prolific perpetrators.
We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women.
Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.
To help support victims, we are providing £1.36m over three years to Changing Lives for their Net-Reach project, which provides early intervention and targeted support for women and girls at high-risk of commercial exploitation. We are also providing £378,811 to Trevi Women who provide trauma-informed support to women wishing to exit on-street prostitution.
In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes financial support and a support worker to help them access wider services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.
Home Office Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and to enhance support for victims who are trapped within commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of prostitution.
The Government will set out policies in this area in due course.