U.K. Parliamentary Committee Recommends Decriminalisation of Sex Workers 1st July 2016

U.K. Parliamentary Committee Recommends Decriminalisation of Sex Work

Today Friday July 1st, SWAI welcomes the Home Affairs Committee recommendation that soliciting by sex workers, and sex workers sharing premises, should be decriminalised in England and Wales.
Kate McGrew, SWAI Coordinator said, ‘We congratulate the Home Affairs Committee on its acknowledgement of the importance of worker voices in its inquiry into sex work so far. The Committee Inquiry has heard enough evidence to call on the U.K. Government to urgently decriminalise solicitation i.e. the act of selling sexual services, and sex workers who work together, in its interim report. The Committee also stated it remains unconvinced that sex buyer laws in other countries have been effective in reducing demand or improving the lives of sex workers. SWAI has participated and given evidence to this inquiry alongside numerous sex workers and sex worker led organisations from the England, Thailand, Scotland, Taiwan, Norway, New Zealand and South Africa. We hope the Committee’s counterpart in Ireland, the newly appointed Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality, will also see the importance of addressing new evidence and inclusive testimony to inform its consideration of proposals in the Sexual Offences Bill 2015. As it stands this Bill proposes to criminalise people who pay for sexual services and does not decriminalise sex workers on the street or those who work together indoors’.

Ends

Notes for Editor
Kate McGrew available for interview

Home Affairs Committee Documents
Home Affairs Committee Press Release Jul 1st 2016
House of Commons Home Affairs Committee interim report on Prostitution
Discussion on Sex Buyer Laws P. 38 & 39.

Media Contact
Kate McGrew 086 777 8700
Dearbhla Ryan 087 767 7148