Laws dropped to ease strike bill

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Controversial changes to prostitution laws have been dropped to ensure the swift passage of a bill that also stops strikes by prison officers.

The changes would have extended the definition of soliciting and forced sex workers into rehabilitation.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the move was to ensure prison officers cannot strike when they pull out of a voluntary no-strike agreement in May.

But Lord Faulkner said the changes would not have passed the Lords anyway.

Tough opposition

In a statement the MoJ said: "We are taking this action to ensure that legal protection is in place in the event of further industrial action destabilising the prison estate, as was witnessed on 29 August last year.

"We will be withdrawing the provisions relating to criminal appeals in clauses 42 and 43, and the prostitution provisions in clauses 123 to 125."

The move is said to be a recognition that stiff opposition to the prostitution clauses in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill would have slowed its passage through Parliament.

I warned them that if push had come to a shove I would have pushed them to a vote and probably won Lord Faulkner

Lord Faulkner said academics, sex workers and health professionals had petitioned peers that the legislation was "dangerous and unhelpful". He said the clauses were unlikely to pass a vote.

He said: "It was problematic to bring forward the changes in this bill at this time, bearing in mind they are conducting a six-month review of prostitution.

"I warned them that if push had come to a shove I would have pushed them to a vote and probably won."

'Common prostitute'

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) welcomed the decision.

Dr Peter Carter, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said: "Criminalisation would have driven underground those in need of properly funded and staffed healthcare support.

"We now hope this is the end of legislation that seeks to further criminalise sex workers."

The disputed clauses stated that a sex worker caught soliciting on two or more occasions in three months would be liable to a rehabilitation order.

If they did not attend a series of three rehabilitation meetings they may then have been liable for a 72-hour prison sentence.

If they try and bring them back they will be as vigorously opposed again, vigorously opposed and more so Cari Mitchell, English Collective of Prostitutes

Clauses 123 to 125 would also have done away with the term "common prostitute" - a move welcomed by the campaigners.

The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) argues that: "Women could end up on a treadmill of broken supervision meetings, court orders and imprisonment."

But the MoJ said it was committed to pushing through the disputed measures at a later date.

It said: "The government remains committed to these measures and it is our intention to bring forward fresh legislation at the earliest opportunity."

Cari Mitchell of the ECP said she was very pleased with the removal of the clauses, but responded strongly to the MoJ's assertion that they might make a reappearance.

She said: "If they try and bring them back they will be as vigorously opposed again, vigorously opposed and more so."

Lord Faulkner said he thought it unlikely the provisions would return in the same form, but he said: "If they do that I shall be very, very strongly against them."