By Michael Courtney - 27th October 2009
Next Tuesday, Clause 14 of the Policing and Crime Bill will be debated at report stage in the House of Lords.
It aims to make it a strict liability offence "to pay or attempt to pay for sexual services from a woman (or child or man) who has been coerced, deceived or forced into the sex trade".
Fiona Mactaggart (Lab, Slough), chair of the all party parliamentary group on prostitution and the global sex trade, yesterday discussed the importance and timeliness of this opportunity at a meeting of the group.
Prosecution under the new law could be possible if evidence shows that a woman has suffered coercion or exploitation and a man has paid, or intends to pay, to have sex with her.
However, great controversy surrounds the issue. A recent Guardian newspaper article discussed the possible exaggeration of the number of trafficked women by officials.
There are fears that such misinformation could undermine the reform process.
Ruth Breslin, research and development manager for Eaves, which runs the Poppy project, told the APPG meeting:
"A minority of people claim that prostitutes are in the business because they want to be there."
Clause 14 is designed to protect women who are forced into the business, not women who are happy to provide sexual services.
Conservative peer Lord McColl told the meeting:
"Many of the Lords are sympathetic to this argument but are sceptical to support it from a legal point of view.
"How do you prove that the buyer had knowledge of the prostitute's history?"
Mactaggart assured the APPG that in Sweden, where similar legislation has been implemented, police have seen positive results.
"It makes their jobs easier. Sweden is not seen as an attractive destination for traffickers," she said.
"Countries that have legalised the sex industry have the highest numbers of trafficked women, with estimates of 50 per cent of prostitutes in the Netherlands and 90 per cent in Germany."
The vote on clause 14 will be whipped, as opposed to a free vote.
The APPG on prostitution and the global sex trade has existed for one year. Its remit is to raise awareness, develop proposals for government, protect women and help them to exit prostitution, and prevent others from entering it.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd