The law is to be changed to allow up to three prostitutes to work legally in brothels, the Government has confirmed.
Currently only one prostitute can offer paid sex without breaking the law.
Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart said this meant women were forced to work in unsafe conditions.
She was speaking at the launch of a new strategy document for England and Wales.
The Government is also creating a new penalty specifically for prostitutes so courts can give them help for drug or alcohol abuse.
The penalty will cover people convicted of loitering or soliciting for prostitution, which is presently dealt with by a fine in most cases.
Ministers have already ruled out a previous proposal to create licensed "red light" zones to deal with street prostitution.
The strategy document also calls for kerb crawlers to be "prosecuted rigorously" to protect local communities.
There should also be warning signs, CCTV and extra street lighting in red light areas, it adds.
Under existing laws, kerb crawling, soliciting, pimping and brothel-keeping are illegal - but sex workers are more frequently prosecuted than clients.
According to figures, there are around 80,000 women working as prostitutes in the UK, with more than half under the age of 25.
Voluntary group Safe Exit, which works to help prostitutes in east London, has said it would prefer to see decriminalisation.
Source: www.skynews.co.uk
Do you think this a good/bad idea?
Currently only one prostitute can offer paid sex without breaking the law.
Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart said this meant women were forced to work in unsafe conditions.
She was speaking at the launch of a new strategy document for England and Wales.
The Government is also creating a new penalty specifically for prostitutes so courts can give them help for drug or alcohol abuse.
The penalty will cover people convicted of loitering or soliciting for prostitution, which is presently dealt with by a fine in most cases.
Ministers have already ruled out a previous proposal to create licensed "red light" zones to deal with street prostitution.
The strategy document also calls for kerb crawlers to be "prosecuted rigorously" to protect local communities.
There should also be warning signs, CCTV and extra street lighting in red light areas, it adds.
Under existing laws, kerb crawling, soliciting, pimping and brothel-keeping are illegal - but sex workers are more frequently prosecuted than clients.
According to figures, there are around 80,000 women working as prostitutes in the UK, with more than half under the age of 25.
Voluntary group Safe Exit, which works to help prostitutes in east London, has said it would prefer to see decriminalisation.
Source: www.skynews.co.uk
Do you think this a good/bad idea?
