Meeting of the Parliament 14 January 2026
As Ash Regan knows, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety outlined the Scottish Government’s position on the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill to the Criminal Justice Committee in November. Although the Government strongly supports the principle of legislating to criminalise those who purchase sex, we retain a neutral stance on the bill. A number of stakeholders have voiced concerns about the safety of women, and it is of paramount importance that legislation that is laid before the Parliament be safe for women involved in and exiting prostitution.
The funding that I have announced will further support the implementation of the strategic approach, which will build on the work that we began with Police Scotland last year. That involves developing local networks between justice and wider mainstream and specialist services in order to ensure that women can be signposted to local support. That funding will help to pave the way for a wider pathway of support for women with experience of commercial sexual exploitation.