Scot-Pep, NUM and NUMbrella Lane have written to the Minister for Community Safety, Ash Regan MSP, seeking urgent clarification about the consultation of sex worker groups as the Scottish Government develops new legislation on sex work (or a ‘model for Scotland’).
In 2021, Scot-Pep was invited to join a reference group on the design of new principles underpinning new legislation to ‘challenge men’s demand for prostitution’. It has since become clear that this group will not meet regularly, and there are no plans for it to be convened, with the main decisions being made through a short life ‘expert working group’ – which includes no sex worker organisations.
We have asked for places to be made available in this expert group for the sex worker organisations in Scotland, in order for sex workers to be meaningfully involved in the development of new legislation which poses an existential threat to sex workers’ safety and livelihoods.
