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Newspaper Advertising

Volume 491: debated on Monday 20 April 2009

19. To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with representatives of the newspaper industry on advertisements for sexual services in local newspapers. (269401)

The Minister for Women and Equality convened a meeting with the Newspaper Society on 1 November 2007 to talk about how to combat sex trafficking. The Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism attended that meeting.

Subsequently, the Newspaper Society updated and strengthened the legal advice and guidance it provides to publishers on accepting personal ads. Among other things, this warns publishers to be wary of ads, such as for massage parlours, which may disguise sexual services.