The UK's most up-to-date social housing and public sector news website
Prostitution
Other Communities stories
- Tenants see 'loss of £100,000' in first wave of housing benefit cuts
- Housing association welcomes credit union expansion
- Repossessions 'lowest since 2007' as councils handed new 'safety net' cash
- DECC looks at 'exempting' housing associations from new tariff cut
- Landlord to revive council's housing PFI scheme
Advertisement
Rules that allow jobcentres to advertise sexual services are being reviewed by the Government, Commons Leader Harriet Harman said today.
Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell is looking into guidelines that allowed more than 350 sex industry jobs to be advertised in Jobcentre Plus offices across the country last year.
Shadow Commons leader Theresa May said jobs included "topless semi-nude bar staff" and "nude cleaners".
During exchanges on future Commons business, Mrs May told MPs of Ms Harman's quest to stop local newspapers advertising the sex trade.
She told Ms Harman: "Pity you can't persuade the Work and Pensions Secretary to join your campaign.
"A new report shows that Jobcentre Plus advertised 351 vacancies in the adult entertainment industry last year, including adverts for topless semi-nude bar staff and nude cleaners.
"Two jobseekers complained - they were asked to perform sexual services after contacting an employer about a vacancy advertised at Jobcentre Plus."
Mrs May demanded an end to this "hypocrisy within Government".
Ms Harman, who is also Women's Minister, said: "I absolutely agree with you that there is no way that job centres should be used as a place for advertising jobs for sexual services, for lap dancing, for sex encounter establishments.
"I raised this with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - he is reviewing the situation. We don't want any of those sorts of jobs in our jobcentres."
