BRITAIN: Britain's brothels could be decriminalised and given official licences under proposals published by Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, yesterday.
In the most radical package of reform for 50 years, the Home Office asked whether a licensing scheme would help reduce damage caused to communities by prostitution.
Ministers want to break the links between organised crime and the sex industry, and to help call girls escape the cycle of Class A drug addiction, debt and sexual degradation.
The paper said: "Licensing arrangements and other relevant regulations could be set up so that local authorities could control prostitution in their areas." There could also be registration of sex workers, it suggested, and asked whether the government should allow "managed tolerance zones" for street prostitution.
Changes to the legal status of brothels would help combat businesses such as massage parlours or saunas which offer prostitution behind closed doors, it said.
"It has been argued that treating brothels as legitimate businesses could reduce levels of exploitation through the application of employment law and health and safety at work regulations," the paper added.
Under current laws it is legal for one person to operate from a flat as a prostitute, but the paper proposed whether two or three prostitutes should be allowed to work from the same address in an attempt to combat exploitation.
A previous suggestion that call girls under the age of 18 should no longer be treated as offenders was firmly rejected by Mr Blunkett.
"We believe there are compelling arguments for retaining this offence in respect of those under 18 to underline the message that prostitution involving children and young people is wholly unacceptable," said the consultation paper.
The report said there was already enthusiasm for creating managed zones for prostitution in several parts of the UK, including Doncaster and Liverpool.
"What is proposed is a formalised 'red light' area, where those involved in prostitution and their users are permitted to trade in a defined area regularly monitored by the police and provided with drop-in health services and other facilities." But the Home Secretary said he favoured a sex worker registration scheme with regular health checks as a way of dealing with heroin and crack abuse by prostitutes.