PART 3ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT
19Assistance and support for exiting prostitution
1
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety must, in conjunction with the other Northern Ireland departments, prepare and publish a strategy in relation to actions to be taken by Northern Ireland departments in the exercise of their respective functions to ensure that a programme of assistance and support is made available to persons who wish to leave prostitution.
2
The strategy must—
a
be published no later than 10 months after the coming into operation of this section; and
b
provide for a programme of support and assistance to be made available in accordance with the strategy no later than 1 April 2016.
3
The strategy must ensure that assistance and support provided to a person—
a
is not conditional on the person acting as a witness in any criminal proceedings;
b
is provided only with the agreement of that person; and
c
is provided in a manner which takes due account of the needs of that person as regards safety and protection from harm.
4
The strategy must ensure that assistance and support is offered from a person who is of the same gender as the person receiving it.
5
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety must, in conjunction with the other Northern Ireland departments—
a
review the strategy (or revised strategy) for the time being published under this section at intervals of not more than 3 years; and
b
if appropriate, revise the strategy and publish the revised strategy.
6
Nothing in this section affects the entitlement of any person to assistance and support under any other statutory provision.
7
For the purposes of this section “prostitution” has the same meaning as in Article 58 of the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008.