Formal Minutes
Wednesday 15 June 2016
Members present:
Keith Vaz, in the Chair
|
Mr Ranil Jayawardena Stuart C McDonald |
Mr David Winnick |
Draft Report (Prostitution), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraphs 1 to 56 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 57 read as follows:
“We commend the police service for its focus on protecting sex workers, and for seeking to gain their assistance in targeting those who exploit them or commit other crimes. However, there is considerable variation in the policing approach to prostitution throughout the country, not all of which is consistent with national policy, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for prostitution and sex work, Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Holland, indicated to us. Moreover, police forces often have to choose whether to enforce offences for soliciting or brothel-keeping in order to reduce negative impacts on the local community, or to focus on building up the confidence and cooperation of sex workers in order to protect them from crime, and to help identify and convict criminals. While it is right that communities choose their policing priorities, it is not right that the police have to choose which laws to enforce and which to overlook.”
Amendment proposed to leave out from “often” in line 7 to the end of the paragraph, and to insert:
“make choices between whether to enforce offences for soliciting or brothel-keeping in order to reduce negative impacts on the local community, or to focus on building up the confidence and cooperation of sex workers in order to protect them from crime, and to help identify and convict criminals. It is right that communities should choose their policing priorities but the police should not choose which laws to enforce and which to overlook”.—(Mr Ranil Jayawardena.)
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
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Ayes, 1 Mr Ranil Jayawardena |
Noes, 2 Stuart C. McDonald Mr David Winnick |
Amendment disagreed to.
Paragraph 57 agreed to.
Paragraphs 58 and 59 read.
Amendment proposed, to leave out paragraphs 58 and 59.—(Mr Ranil Jayawardena.)
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
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Ayes, 1 Mr Ranil Jayawardena |
Noes, 2 Stuart C. McDonald Mr David Winnick |
Amendment disagreed to.
Paragraphs 58 and 59 agreed to.
Paragraphs 60 to 101 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 102 read as follows:
“All of the different approaches which we have examined have some advantages but none appears to offer a complete solution and none would be directly transferable to England and Wales in its entirety because the context in which it would be applied will always be different, particularly in terms of employment law and the social welfare support available, as well as the wider criminal justice system and policing. However, there may well be elements from the different models which could usefully be applied in England and Wales. At this stage, we are not recommending the adoption of any one of the three broad models of a sex buyer law, decriminalisation or legalisation, because the evidence base for any of these changes is not yet established. We will set out our views on this in our final report. In the meantime, we have made clear our strong view that the first step of changing the existing legislation on soliciting, and on brothel-keeping as it relates to sex workers sharing premises, should be taken by the Government as a matter of urgency.”
Amendment proposed to leave out from “report” in line 10 to the end of the paragraph.—(Mr Ranil Jayawardena.)
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
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Ayes, 1 Mr Ranil Jayawardena |
Noes, 2 Stuart C. McDonald Mr David Winnick |
Amendment disagreed to.
Paragraph 102 agreed to.
A Paper was appended to the Report as Appendix 1.
Resolved, That the Report be the Third Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That embargoed copies of the Report be made available, in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 134.
[Adjourned till Wednesday 29 June at 2.00 pm.
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16 June 2016