Job-hunting ex-prostitutes should be free to hide record

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 22:01

FORMER prostitutes should not have to disclose their spent convictions for sex work when applying for jobs, a Holyrood committee said yesterday.

The Equal Opportunities Committee is seeking to overturn the law which forces women to disclose such convictions when applying for certain types of jobs.

The committee is drafting an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill to exempt former sex workers from disclosing their past.

Women have told the committee that they are unable to get work because they are often required to disclose spent convictions for sex work when applying for jobs.

The justice minister, Kenny MacAskill, has told the committee that spent convictions do not usually have to be disclosed to employers, but in childcare and health professions disclosure is required to protect the public.

Committee convener and Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell said the idea was to find out "why prostitution really never, ever disappears from someone's criminal record".

An amendment will be drawn up before the 25 February deadline for submission.