Liverpool makes bid for first legal prostitution z
Discussion
LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool has approved plans to set up a red light district to allow legal prostitution.
The plan, supported overwhelmingly by the city council, must now be submitted to the Home Office for approval.
"The council has voted with an overwhelming majority to approach the Home Office with our plans," a council spokeswoman said.
"It is now up to the Home Office to decide if we can have the UK's first official managed zone."
The proposed red light zone would follow the model used in the Dutch city of Utrecht, where prostitutes can ply their trade only at night, in an industrial area of the inner city and away from homes and operating businesses.
It would be easily accessible by car and public transport, and have ample parking.
The plan also includes security measures including police patrols, closed-circuit cameras, a health and welfare centre and controlled entrances and exits to ensure only sex workers and their clients used the area.
Liverpool councillors did not decide which area of their city would be designated as a vice zone, although two were proposed by researchers from the Liverpool John Moores University.
Councillor Flo Clucas said the plan was intended to make prostitutes safer at work and at the same time "to offer them all the support and help necessary to get out of the sex trade".
A spokesman from the Home Office in London said they were looking into possible "managed zones" of prostitution, but said it would require new legislation to make them legal.
"Any change to the law would be subject to the usual parliamentary process, with the usual thorough debate and scrutiny," he said.
The plan, supported overwhelmingly by the city council, must now be submitted to the Home Office for approval.
"The council has voted with an overwhelming majority to approach the Home Office with our plans," a council spokeswoman said.
"It is now up to the Home Office to decide if we can have the UK's first official managed zone."
The proposed red light zone would follow the model used in the Dutch city of Utrecht, where prostitutes can ply their trade only at night, in an industrial area of the inner city and away from homes and operating businesses.
It would be easily accessible by car and public transport, and have ample parking.
The plan also includes security measures including police patrols, closed-circuit cameras, a health and welfare centre and controlled entrances and exits to ensure only sex workers and their clients used the area.
Liverpool councillors did not decide which area of their city would be designated as a vice zone, although two were proposed by researchers from the Liverpool John Moores University.
Councillor Flo Clucas said the plan was intended to make prostitutes safer at work and at the same time "to offer them all the support and help necessary to get out of the sex trade".
A spokesman from the Home Office in London said they were looking into possible "managed zones" of prostitution, but said it would require new legislation to make them legal.
"Any change to the law would be subject to the usual parliamentary process, with the usual thorough debate and scrutiny," he said.
This is surely an opportunity to tell one of the oldest most modified gags in captivity?
Went to see a hooker.
We get down to it.
Couple of strokes in, tell her to put on hand on me knackers.
Few strokes more, tell her to put her other hand on me arse.
Finished, she then asked why all that business with the hands.
Ahh, last time I shagged a scouser she nicked me wallet...
BA DUM TSH!
Went to see a hooker.
We get down to it.
Couple of strokes in, tell her to put on hand on me knackers.
Few strokes more, tell her to put her other hand on me arse.
Finished, she then asked why all that business with the hands.
Ahh, last time I shagged a scouser she nicked me wallet...
BA DUM TSH!
Lazyitus said:
You can shag in there but you can't smoke
b17nns said:
I find this funny. These 'working' girls don't declare their earnings and therfore don't pay tax. A lot will spend what they do earn on drugs.
However they are being encouraged and given a safe place to work.
Pretty much sums up the arse-backwards way that most councils think. If you are going to introduce a red light area then tax them on their earnings like any other worker.
I am uncomfortable with ideas like this when the argument justifying it is "Oh well it happens anyway, we're best off controlling it." Wrong, if it is illegal then do something about it, if you want it legalised then legalise it and control it that way.
I would like to propose a few "Green Light Roads" where a blind eye is turned to speeding, in order to contain the anti-social menace and the dangerous criminals who practice it within certain areas
Street prostitutes are overwhelmingly heroin addicts, usually riddled with Hepatitis.
Their income is, by and large, spent on drugs.
They need help, not encouragement to perpetuate the cycle of misery.
I defend criminals for a living. When they are too shot to be effective shoplifters, many of the females end up as street prostitutes.
They are usually in a shocking state.
They need to go into rehab, not a commercial, council endorsed sex zone.
Cheers
Pat
Their income is, by and large, spent on drugs.
They need help, not encouragement to perpetuate the cycle of misery.
I defend criminals for a living. When they are too shot to be effective shoplifters, many of the females end up as street prostitutes.
They are usually in a shocking state.
They need to go into rehab, not a commercial, council endorsed sex zone.
Cheers
Pat
It seems to work out okay in Holland and Germany I think. But please correct me if I am wrong.
Always prefered the idea of the enthusiastic amateur, usually to be found in the local nightclub on a saturday when I was single. I always assumed a few Vodka and cokes were a lot more cost effective and you could have a chat to if you wanted...
On the tax thing though one of the arguments I heard during my student days against the legalisation of cannabis was that the bastewards would only tax it!
Always prefered the idea of the enthusiastic amateur, usually to be found in the local nightclub on a saturday when I was single. I always assumed a few Vodka and cokes were a lot more cost effective and you could have a chat to if you wanted...
On the tax thing though one of the arguments I heard during my student days against the legalisation of cannabis was that the bastewards would only tax it!
Eric Mc said:
Earnings from crininal activities are taxable in the normal way. Unforunately, the Inland Revenue failed to design a "Criminal Earnings" set of Self Assessment Supplementary Pages when the tax form was designed back in 1996. This was a major oversight at the time.
Yes, but VAT exists, which means they will be paying some tax sometime.
Interesting experiment, BTW. Do similar schemes in the Netherlands and Germany reduce the drugs problem too ?
Eric Mc said:
Earnings from crininal activities are taxable in the normal way. Unforunately, the Inland Revenue failed to design a "Criminal Earnings" set of Self Assessment Supplementary Pages when the tax form was designed back in 1996. This was a major oversight at the time.
Realistically, who'd fill that part in?
Ok, probably some may be stupid enough!
IMHO, the proposal may also decreases the propensity for opportunist rapists.
I can see why they do want to do this, I'm sure many pro's will be in a safer environment and will practice safer sex than they would on the street. It's not really a matter of them shirking their responsibilities regarding tax, there are more important public health issues here that can be controlled more easily by their proposals. As said above, it's a system that works well elsewhere in the world. Get them off the streets and I'm sure the councils will look at the tax issues in due course. Sadly, this will probably make many return to the street to earn more.
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