Prostitution bill in Scotland should get tough on punters, say MSPs

People buying sex should face tougher fines than prostitutes under proposed changes to the law in Scotland, MSPs said  today.

A report into the Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill, which would criminalise soliciting and loitering where likely to cause alarm, nuisance or offence, said the proposed fines regime would affect prostitutes disproportionately.

The Local Government and Transport Committee also questioned how the law could be enforced because it was reliant on people buying sex incriminating itself.

In evidence to the committee, deputy minister for finance and public service reform George Lyon raised the prospect of only applying the new law to people buying sex and not prostitutes, and placing tougher penalties on the former.