23 July 2004
Councils should be free to determine their own solutions to prostitution and associated community problems, say local government leaders.
The Local Government Association hailed the Home Office's consultation on the sex trade as a 'brave step' and reminded ministers that councils had a key role to play as both service providers and community leaders.
Although some towns and cities are keen to press ahead with a managed zone to contain prostitution, senior policy officer Trish O'Flynn said the LGA was neutral on how the trade should be managed.
'Things need to change but how that is done is down to individual councils and communities. You have to have local flexibility,' she said.
Liverpool City Council has won widespread community support for a managed zone and is now identifying suitable areas. A spokeswoman said the council hoped Liverpool could become a model of good practice for the rest of the UK.
'We don't have it yet, but we would like Home Office approval so that we would be the first city in the UK to have an officially managed zone. Hopefully, we will have a decision once they have received our completed consultation report,' she said.
But Home Office minister Caroline Flint said the department was unlikely to approve any proposal until the consultation ended in November.
She added that, although the Home Office was open to all ideas, existing evidence had to be considered. She pointed to the Netherlands where three managed zones have been closed.
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