Prostitutes helped off streets

Prostitutes are being offered help for drug problems

The Scottish Executive has announced a £1.8m scheme to help prostitutes build a new life for themselves.

The initiative aims to provide easy access to advice and services that will enable the women in Glasgow to move out of prostitution.

Deputy Minister for Communities Jackie Baillie described it as a "highly ambitious" project.

The £1.8m to provide routes out of prostitution is part of the £12m announced on 1 June 2000 by Communities Minister Wendy Alexander to help tackle homelessness across Scotland.

Ms Baillie said solutions required co-ordination between housing, social work and healthcare agencies.

The drugs agency, Base 75, will receive £1.1m to develop a "one-stop shop" for quick access to health and social work services, along with crisis and temporary accommodation for more than 1,000 prostitutes.

Safe housing

A methadone clinic will be set up and counselling services extended.

A further £700,000 will go to the Routes out of Prostitution social inclusion partnership to build 22 units of supported accommodation in Glasgow.

A range of safe and suitable housing options will be made available. The project will link into a crisis accommodation service.

Another 20 furnished flats will be available for temporary housing.

Ms Baillie said: "Base 75's own research has clearly identified the problems, with 80% of prostitutes who use their service owing money, 92% injecting drugs and almost a third describing themselves as homeless.

"This project will be a huge step towards providing solutions."