CRIMINALISING PROSTITUTION AND ACTION AGAINST TRAFFICKING FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Early day motion 633, tabled 7 January 2008 by Diane Abbott (Labour). Signed by 24 members.

That this House is concerned by recent comments made by Ministers and former Ministers regarding prostitution in the UK; notes that calls to ban prostitution in order to prevent trafficking for sexual exploitation appear to be ill thought-out; understands that Government raids on prostitution establishments as part of Operation Pentameter have not found a vast number of trafficked workers but rather that women working in such establishments are more likely to be made vulnerable by debts incurred during migration, or by poverty that drives them into sex work; further notes that women who are recognised as victims of trafficking are given few rights to protection or residency under current legislation; and calls on the Government to rethink its approach to prostitution by focusing on protecting women from exploitation and by offering suitable alternatives to prostitution for those who wish to leave it.

Signatures by party: Labour 16, Liberal Democrat 4, Conservative 2, Independent 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.