House of Commons · General Debate
09 December 2020 · 4 other contributors
Opened by Diana R. Johnson Lab Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Diana R. Johnson raised concerns about sexual exploitation in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The Bill aims to criminalise paying for sex, decriminalise selling sex, create offences related to enabling or profiting from sexual exploitation, provide support services for victims, and align with international standards on reducing demand for sexual exploitation. The current UK law fails in discouraging the demand that fuels trafficking and allows profit-making pimping websites to operate freely.
The Bill proposes criminalising paying for sex, decriminalising selling sex, creating offences related to enabling or profiting from sexual exploitation, providing support services for victims, and aligning with international standards on reducing demand for sexual exploitation. The UK is a high-value, low-risk destination for sex trafficking due to ineffective laws. Vulnerable women, often non-UK nationals, are exploited in brothels across Britain, with Romanian women comprising a significant proportion of victims. Traffickers and pimps profit immensely from this trade, driven by the demand created by men who pay for sex. The Bill aims to dismantle the business model of sex trafficking by preventing demand and prosecuting those who enable or profit from exploitation.
I oppose parts of my hon. Friend's Bill as they involve the Nordic model, which criminalises buying sex and can also criminalise methods used by sex workers to market their work. This is counterproductive as it increases risks for sex workers. Evidence from France shows a rise in violence against sex workers after implementation of the model. Criminalisation reduces women's ability to refuse risky clients and use safe practices such as condoms, leading to increased vulnerabilities. The solution lies in addressing poverty and inequality, providing support for exiting prostitution without criminal records hindering their lives.
Called a point of order questioning the Secretary of State's absence from the House to discuss the UK's decision to opt out of WTO tariffs imposed by the US, which affects Airbus and steel industries in Wales negatively. This action undermines relationships with European partners and shows government weakness.
Responded to Mark Tami’s point of order by emphasising that if a Minister has an announcement of importance, it should first be made here in the Chamber, not in newspapers. Assured that any Secretary of State would come to the House for such announcements.