Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her most recent assessment is of the potential consequences of implementation and enforcement of Northern Ireland legislation on prostitution for the rest of the UK.

We are aware of different legislative approaches to prostitution – including in Northern Ireland, where all buying of sex has been criminalised and the selling decriminalised. We have yet to see unequivocal evidence that any one approach is better at tackling harm and exploitation – and that remains our priority. Our laws are there to tackle exploitation and abuse, clamping down on activities such as brothel-keeping and kerb-crawling. We will closely monitor the implementation, enforcement, and impact of the changes in Northern Ireland.

As we set out in the Government's response to the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC), we are committed to tackling the harm and exploitation that can be associated with prostitution and sex work, and believe that people who want to leave prostitution should be given every opportunity to escape it. Through the Tampon Tax Fund, we are providing a total of £389,000 to organisations which help those who want to leave prostitution and sex work.

The Government funds a victim care contract worth £40 million between 2015-2020 for all identified adult victims of modern slavery, which can include sexual exploitation and forced prostitution, in England and Wales. This is delivered by The Salvation Army through a series of specialist sub-contractors and can include safe accommodation and psychological support.