The UK government has been called by a cross-party group of British MPs led by Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz to legalize sex work and prostitution across the nation. The move is the first time in decades, when Parliament has considered such a "polarising" subject.

Last week, The House of Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee (HAC), headed by MP Vaz, released its interim report after conducting a review into the practice.

Vaz said in a statement, that, "This is the first time that Parliament has considered the issue of prostitution in decades. It is a polarising subject with strong views on all sides."

"As a first step, there has been universal agreement that elements of the present law are unsatisfactory. Treating soliciting as a criminal offence is having an adverse effect, and it is wrong that sex workers, who are predominantly women, should be penalised and stigmatised in this way. The criminalisation of sex workers should therefore end."

According to the HAC, the UK Home Office should change existing legislation immediately so that soliciting is no longer an offence and brothel-keeping laws permit sex workers to share premises, without losing the ability to prosecute those who use brothels to control or exploit sex workers.

"The committee will evaluate a number of the alternative models as this inquiry continues, including the sex-buyers law as operated in Sweden, the full decriminalised model used in Denmark, and the legalised model used in Germany and the Netherlands," Vaz said.

A report revealed that, there are approximately 70,000 prostitutes in the UK. They make an average of 2,000 pounds (Rs 1.7 lakh) a week. They charge around 78 pounds (Rs 6,925) for services and have around 25 clients per week.

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Nandini