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Policing and Crime Bill

The noble Baroness makes an interesting point. I presume that it would depend on the beat patterns in different police forces in different parts of the country, from cities to rural areas. As she rightly says, it may have the result that, if beat officers are not there very often, they may not spot what would be persistent in their proposals in the amendment. The police practice is to issue cautions, and that will continue. If a prosecution is brought, the prosecutor is required to prove that the man or woman was loitering on at least two occasions. They can of course advance an explanation as to what they were doing. We see these changes that were signalled in the co-ordinated prostitution strategy as an important element to that approach. The noble Baroness’s point is a good one, but, if anything, it would assist the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, to accept the position, if it meant in reality that there was no difference between twice in three months and twice in one week.