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GOVERNMENT
SAYS NO TO MANAGED PROSTITUTION ZONES
THE Government on Tusday 17
January 2006 announced its long-term strategy for reducing street
prostitution, ruling out the idea of "managed zones"
for prostitution.
The Prostitution Strategy promises:-
* better enforcement of laws against kerb-crawling and those who
exploit prostitutes;
* more opportunities for women to leave prostitution, including
better links between police and projects that work with prostitutes;
* an increased focus on preventing children, particularly vulnerable
children, from being lured into prostitution.
To reduce the demand for street prostitution and bring to justice
those who exploit individuals through prostitution, the Government
and local authorities will encourage proactive policing of
kerb-crawling by local police forces, and greater enforcement of
penalties such as removal of driving licences from repeat offenders.
The Strategy proposes creating a new penalty for the offence of
loitering or soliciting for prostitution, so that courts can direct
women into services to help deal with drug or alcohol dependency
treatment. To ensure fewer people enter prostitution, reduce the
harm it causes and offer routes out, the Government and local
authorities will also:-
* ensure that drug treatment programmes, other health services, and
supported accommodation are available to women who want to get out
of prostitution;
* use the recently published UK Action Plan on Trafficking to target
traffickers;
* expand the successful Ugly Mugs scheme, already running in various
areas, which informs prostitutes about violent punters in order to
protect them, and link this system with Crimestoppers information;
* produce a guide to services available for women in prostitution
who suffer violent or sexual crimes;
* ensure that ASBOs, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Intervention
Orders are used in conjunction with local support projects, and do
not stop prostitutes from getting help;
* change the definition of a brothel so that two prostitutes can
work together. Respondents said this was vital to increase the
safety of women working in prostitution.
Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said:- "Prostitution
blights communities and the lives of those who participate. While
kerb-crawlers could choose not to pay for sex, women involved in
prostitution often have very limited choices in life. They come from
difficult backgrounds, might have drug problems or nowhere safe to
live. I want them to have help and support to leave prostitution.
The communities who suffer the side effects of prostitution end up
with no choice over what happens on their streets and they are the
ones who see used condoms on the streets, who live in fear of
innocent women being abused or attacked and who have the stigma of
living in a red-light area.
We will not eradicate prostitution overnight, but we must not
condone this exploitative industry. I want to see a tough approach
to kerb-crawling, combined with much better work to prevent children
being drawn into prostitution and give those involved a route out."
Speaking specifically about "managed zones" for
prostitution, Fiona Mactaggart said:- "I cannot accept that we
should turn a blind eye to a problem that causes misery for people
living in or near red-light areas. There is no evidence that
decriminalisation or licensing prostitution would achieve our
objectives of reducing exploitation, improving the safety of those
involved, and making local communities safer."
To prevent children entering prostitution, the Government will
tighten up child protection guidance for social workers, focusing on
those children who are most at risk of being lured into
prostitution, such as those not in proper education and those
leaving care. It will also create a guide for schools to be aware of
the risks and early signs of prostitution, and help devise training
for police officers, teachers and nurses to spot the signs and risks
of sexual exploitation.
Other measures to tackle the demand for prostitution include:-
* where appropriate, and only for a first-time offender with no
other convictions for sexual offences, offering kerb-crawler
re-education programmes as an alternative to prosecution.
* naming and shaming those convicted of kerb-crawling.
Fiona Mactaggart added:- "There is some truly excellent work
going on around the country to help women get out of prostitution. I
want to see more projects working well with local police forces,
councils and crime prevention groups to link up all those with an
interest in making our streets safer."
The Strategy has five key aims:-
1. Prevention and awareness-raising; prevention and early
intervention measures to stop individuals, particularly children and
young people, from becoming involved in prostitution
2. Tackling demand; responding to community concerns by deterring
those who create the demand and removing the opportunity for street
prostitution to take place
3. Developing routes out; proactively engaging with those involved
in prostitution to provide a range of support and advocacy services
to help them leave prostitution
4. Ensuring justice; bringing to justice those who exploit
individuals through prostitution, and those who commit violent and
sexual offences against those involved in prostitution
5. Tackling off-street prostitution; targeting commercial sexual
exploitation, in particular where victims are young or have been
trafficked. |
TESCO
INTERNET PHONE TRIAL TO SLASH FAMILY PHONE BILLS IN MERSEYSIDE
SUPPERSTORE company Tesco is set
to transform the way we make phone calls and slash call costs with
the launch of its new internet phone service.
The Tesco Extra in Bidston Moss has been chosen as one of the first
Tesco stores to sell the internet phones, meaning that local
residents will be among the first to try the new service.
Tesco internet phone is:-
o Both easy to set up and simple to use
o A low-cost alternative to traditional fixed line telephones
o The must-have technology for 2006
8.1 million homes in the UK now have access to broadband internet,
but until now internet phone technology (also known as VOIP), with
its complicated technology and confusing jargon, has mainly been the
domain of techies.
All that is set to change with the launch of Tesco's new Internet
phone. Offering both ease of use and great value calls, it's
expected to make this technology appealing to a mass market for the
first time ever and make 2006 the year of the internet phone.
Calls from Tesco's new Internet phone both within the UK and to
popular international destinations such as the US, Canada and
Australia are priced at just 2p a minute, while calls to UK mobiles
cost only 10p a minute. Calls to other internet phone users are
absolutely free wherever they are in the world.
Tesco internet phones are as easy to use as traditional fixed line
phones and feature the same call quality, plus they offer households
the option of a second phone line without the added cost and hassle
of line rental and installation.
And there's good news for Abingdon residents who are planning a home
move, because internet phone users can choose a unique,
non-geographical number when they sign up to the service. This
number can then be kept for life and taken to all future addresses.
Using Tesco's Internet phone pack could not be easier. Users install
the software, register their details and select their phone number
using the supplied installation guide. Then they simply plug the
handset into the USB socket on the PC and calls can begin. Easy!
What's more, Tesco internet phone is a pay as you go service, so
users can monitor exactly how much they're spending on calls.
Andy Dewhurst, chief executive officer of Tesco telecoms says:-
“The way we communicate is rapidly changing and we believe
that this is just the beginning of the internet phone revolution.
Our research showed that while many people are aware of internet
phone services, most have been put off by complicated technology and
confusing tariffs and installation.
Tesco's simple and convenient new service will finally make this
amazing technology accessible to millions of households throughout
the UK and allow everyone to benefit from free or very low-cost
internet calls.”
Nell McAndrew is already a huge fan:- “I come from a
close-knit family and because we all live quite far apart, it's
really important for me to stay in touch over the phone. Plus I'm a
big talker, so Tesco's new Internet phone will mean much cheaper
phone bills, which I'm sure my husband will appreciate!
Usually I'm a bit of a technophobe, but this new service is perfect
for me because it's so straightforward and easy to use.”
THE ART OF
MATCH-MAKING
Singles night at the Walker Art
Gallery
THE National Museums Liverpool is
hosting a Valentine's singles night at the Walker Art Gallery from
19:00 to 21:00 hours on Friday 10 February 2006.
The inspiration for the evening is the stunning exhibition Conrad
Shawcross:- the Steady States. Shawcross has been described as the
Da Vinci of the 21st Century because of his awesome sculptures that
use noise and light to explore cosmology, quantum mechanics and
musical theory. In creating a wonderful sensory atmosphere, where
art fuses with science and music, the exhibition provides a
stimulating backdrop for meeting new people.
Guests are kept entertained and encouraged to mingle with various
activities:-
· Private tours of the beautiful Walker Art Gallery, including the
Shawcross exhibition
· Ice-breaker games and quiz
· Indulgent refreshments including
Smirnoff Norsk Vodka and Thornton's Eden chocolate.
Single in the City, a popular event for the singletons of the North
West, takes place in different cultural organisations across
Liverpool. Set in beautiful locations with things of interest to see
and do, the events create a relaxed environment- perfect for meeting
like-minded people and making new friends.
Tickets to the event cost just £5 each. Places are limited so please
book in advance. For more information or to book your place call
Kathy McKeon on 0151 478 4616.
Clairvoyance Evening
with David Traynor
THE evening hosted by Dave
Traylor will be held on Friday 10 February, at Liverpool
Spiritualist National Church, 14 Daulby Street, Liverpool (at the
side of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital next door to the Roy
Castle building.) Doors open at 7.30pm and the evening starts at
8.00pm. Tickets are £5.00 each with tea and coffee served.
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