AQW 5652/16-21

Mr Eamonn McCann
People Before Profit Alliance
Foyle

Tabled Date: 19/10/2016
Answered On Date: 02/11/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice to detail the number of sex workers that have exited the sex industry since the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 came into effect.

Answer:

No information is available on the number of sex workers who have exited prostitution since the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 came into effect.

Section 19 of the Act required the then Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to prepare and publish a strategy to ensure that a Programme of assistance and support is made available to those who wish to leave prostitution. The strategy was published in December 2015 and the programme was published in May 2016. The programme will be subject to ongoing review by the Department of Health to ensure that appropriate advice and information is made available.