HC Deb 23 March 2000 vol 346 cc681-2W
Mr. Caplin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which organisations he has received submissions in response to the consultation paper, "New Measures to Control Prostitutes' Cards". [115589]

Mr. Charles Clarke

We have received 60 responses to our consultation paper, "New Measures to Control Prostitutes Cards in Phone Boxes". Those who submitted comments include:

  • the three police staff associations—the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Superintendents' Association and the Police Federation;
  • the regulator Oftel;
  • the telephone box operators—British Telecom, IPM and New World Payphones;
  • other licensed operators—One2One, Vodafone, British Telecom Cellnet, and Orange;
  • the Local Government Association and the Association of London Government;
  • local authorities—Westminster City Council, the London Borough of Camden, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Brighton and Hove Council, North Lincolnshire Council and the Corporation of London;
  • the London Tourist Board;
  • the London Chamber of Commerce;
  • the Justices' Clerks' Society;
  • advertisers—the Advertising Association, Outdoor Advertising Association, Phonesites, and the Committee of Advertising Practice;
  • groups representing sex workers and Europap, the Sexual Freedom Coalition, and the Praed Street Project;
  • the organisation CARE;
  • residents associations representing areas badly affected by the presence of cards, a number of local businesses and concerned members of the public.

Mr. Caplin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the financial impact of measures to control prostitutes' cards on(a) the police, (b) local authorities and (c) telecommunications operators in the last 12 months. [115588]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Home Office consultation paper 'New Measures to Control Prostitutes' Cards in Phone Boxes' invited respondents to submit information about the existing and potential costs caused by the nuisance of prostitutes' cards.

A number of organisations including some local authorities and telephone operators responded with figures. Their responses referred to the costs incurred in cleaning the boxes and removing cards and the cost of court action against carders. They also included lost advertising revenue, although this was not calculated separately. The total figure amounted to around £750,000, but not all those likely to incur costs at present responded to the question in the consultation paper.