Campaigners attack bid to 'sneak in' prostitution laws

Labour MSP Trish Godman wants to make it an offence to engage in, advertise or facilitate paid-for sexual activity, whether it is on the streets or indoors.

She has tabled a string of amendments to the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill currently going through the Scottish Parliament.

Ruth Morgan Thomas, of prostitute support group Scotpep, criticised the proposals and the way they were brought forward.

She said there were an estimated 5,000 women working in the sex industry in Scotland.

"To look at criminalising that number of people and their clients through amendments to a bill already going through the parliament is quite shocking.

"As far as I know there has been no consultation. There has been no public discussion or debate.

"They should bring a member's bill. They need to go through proper consultation and not just sneak it into legislation."

Kerb crawling was made an offence by the Scottish Parliament in October 2007, but prostitution itself is not illegal.

Ms Morgan Thomas said the proposals aimed to criminalise anyone and everyone involved with the sex industry.

She claimed a law against "facilitating" the purchase of sex could lead to receptionists, hotel porters and even taxi drivers being charged and convicted.

Ms Morgan Thomas said polls suggested around 62 per cent of the public favoured decriminalising the sex industry.

She said she hoped the committee would throw out Ms Godman's amendments. But if it was going to pass them, she said it was essential there was proper consultation. She said: "We have a number of women who are wishing to speak to MSPs because they want their voice to be heard. I hope the committee would agree to hear them before they take such serious measures."

Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald has tabled amendments to counter Ms Godman's. She proposes that the buying and selling of sex should only be an offence where it causes alarm or nuisance to another person.

Ms MacDonald said those trying to ban paid-for sex were using catch-all amendments to a bill that was never intended to tackle the issue of prostitution.

Ms Godman defended her bid to outlaw paid-for sex. She said: "What we have to do is change attitudes. It took a long time for people to accept there was such a thing as domestic violence. It's a long hard road we are on."

She also defended her use of the existing bill for her aims. She said: "It is a Criminal Justice Bill and this would be a criminal offence."