Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:615;Page:11210] 
4.  
JUDY TURNER (United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
: Does she agree with the comments of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services’ Southern Regional Manager Paula Attrill that curbing child prostitution is “first and foremost” a police issue; if so why? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) 
: 
 When Miss Attrill was asked: “Do your staff go out on the streets at night looking for child prostitutes?” she said: “First and foremost police are responsible for policing the streets.”; I agree. Miss Attrill also said: “In the event that the police pick up any children or young persons for whom there are concerns over lack of supervision of any kind not just relating to prostitution then they phone the duty social worker and the department responds accordingly.” 
Judy Turner 
: In light of the findings of the ECPAT New Zealand recent study which showed that child prostitutes come from backgrounds where sexual abuse drug taking family dysfunction and neglect are prevalent does she agree that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services is the very agency that needs to step up and take a much more proactive role given its core statutory responsibilities to promote the well-being of children by protecting them from abuse and suffering? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Not only am I satisfied with the contribution that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services is making in respect of this need I am also very satisfied with the amount of interagency collaboration that is applied in the areas of early intervention and family support. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What is the Government doing to curb child prostitution? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: We have done more than any other previous Government to stop the sexual exploitation of children. We have passed legislation making it an offence to be a client of a prostitute under the age of 18 and we have introduced legislation toughening child porn penalties. The new Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) before Parliament increases penalties and introduces gender neutrality for sexual offences against children. It has introduced much tougher laws against paedophiles who will now face 10 years’ supervision once they have completed their sentences. 
Katherine Rich 
: What steps did the Department of Child Youth and Family Services take after being alerted to allegations of child prostitution to substantiate the claims or identify any children? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: As I indicated in the answer to the primary question the police alert as is their usual routine the appropriate Department of Child Youth and Family Services social worker who then responds accordingly. 
Bill Gudgeon 
: What powers of arrest do the police have under the legislation that will allow them to arrest detain prosecute and convict a 12-year-old prostitute? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: As I outlined in answer to an earlier supplementary question the current legislation has toughened the law in this regard. It is now illegal to hire an underage worker—that is someone who is under 18—and the illegality of receiving commercial sexual services from a person under 18 has been reaffirmed under sections 20 21 and 22 of the Prostitution Reform Act. Offences under these sections of the Act will be liable for imprisonment of up to 7 years. 
Judy Turner 
: Can the Minister explain the department’s response to the fact that last year a dozen girls aged between 13 and 16 were caught selling sex in Christchurch streets—girls who were at the time in the care of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services but were sneaking out of the department’s homes at night? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Yes those issues have been discussed in the House before and I am confident that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services has done all it is able to do to ensure a better life for those young girls. 
Judy Turner 
: Does she agree that the department should be playing the lead role in keeping children out of prostitution in light of the comment made by her colleague Tim Barnett: “Research shows that there wasn’t success by policing. There is success by working one on one with children. That is the answer.”? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The Department of Child Youth and Family Services does have a lead role in a number of early-intervention and family support initiatives. For example Family Start; social workers in schools; the provision of activity centres for secondary school children who are experiencing problems with schooling; the community project which aims at young people between 15 and 25 years of age; the Strengthening Families project; supporting education on the truancy services and alternative education programmes; Parents as First Teachers; youth at risk programmes; activity-based programmes; the youth offending teams; and life skills programmes. Those are successful early-intervention programmes some of which are led by the Department of Child Youth and Family Services and some are led by other agencies in collaboration with the department. 
Judy Turner 
: In light of the fact that the Christchurch Safer Community Council has renewed a contract with the 198 Youth Health Centre to get child prostitutes off the streets after it was abandoned by central government in 2002 due to lack of funding why was that programme stopped when the Department of Internal Affairs found that the money invested was well worth it and there were significant cost savings well in excess of the investment? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I do not have specific information with regard to the reasons that that programme was discontinued. However I am happy to provide them to the member in due course. 
Judy Turner 
: In light of the findings of the ECPAT New Zealand study that 86 percent of those who tried to help child prostitutes said that the best way to help them was to address the trauma and self-esteem issues of the children can she explain why very few respondents were satisfied with the support available from State care institutions and also why the Department of Child Youth and Family Services gave no information for that survey when it was asked to participate? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No to both questions. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has the Minister read the agreement between the United Future party and the Government and which part has the provision demanding that the Government not introduce laws to legalise prostitution for all and sundry? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a statement. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: No it is not. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If it is a question the Minister can comment. 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Yes I have and no I cannot.