§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he is giving to the proposals by the chief constable of South Yorkshire on prostitution; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what new initiatives he is currently considering to tackle the problems of prostitution in residential districts; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThe Government are aware of the difficulties which prostitution generally, and in residential areas in particular, can cause. I am also aware of the personal view of the chief constable of South Yorkshire on this subject.
The aim of the law in this area is to prevent the nuisance caused when prostitutes ply their trade in the streets; to discourage women from becoming prostitutes; and to penalise those who seek to encourage, control or exploit the prostitution of others for financial gain.
When a suitable legislation opportunity occurs we will amend the law on kerb crawling in section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1985 to remove the need to prove persistence, annoyance or nuisance before a man can be convicted of the offence.