Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December (HL3801), whether they will now collect and make available information from local police authorities detailing statistics on arrests for (1) a common prostitute loitering in a street or public place, (2) a common prostitute soliciting in a street or public place, (3) a person persistently loitering, and (4) a person persistently soliciting for the purpose of prostitution, broken down by (a) arresting police authority, and (b) the (i) gender, and (ii) ethnicity, of the person arrested.

The Government has no current plans to provide further data other than that provided in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin.

As set out in the Government’s response to the Home Affairs Select Committee report on prostitution, we believe that a greater understanding of the prevalence and nature of prostitution in England and Wales is required prior to considering any changes to policy and legislation. This includes whether any further statistical data should be collected centrally.

The Home Office has commissioned research to develop our understanding. Once the research is complete we will consider any future policy changes.