UK Parliament / Open data

Policing and Crime Bill

Proceeding contribution from John McDonnell (Labour) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 19 May 2009. It occurred during Debate on bills on Policing and Crime Bill.
What came across from all the information we have gleaned, and from the Government's strategy discussions in the early stages, is that there are women and men who undertake such work from choice, but most others—the vast majority—do not. They are there because of push factors such as poverty and drug dependency, and they often have mental health problems or other background problems. They need assistance to get "off the game", as they say. The one message that comes across loud and clear is that anything that criminalises their actions in any way undermines their ability to leave those occupations voluntarily.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
492 c1440 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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