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.