To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in 2021; and what penalty was imposed in cases of conviction.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests carried out by police forces in England and Wales, broken down by broader offence group (e.g. “sexual offences”). However, data is not held on the legislation under which the arrest was made. The most recent data on arrests is available here: Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office also publishes data on police recorded crime outcomes. In 2021, there were 40 charges for Soliciting for the Purpose of Prostitution offences. Data on specific sub-offences, including relating to s.53A, are not available. Further data related to charges and recorded crimes can be found in the published open data tables: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office does not hold data on convictions or penalties imposed following arrest. Data on criminal justice statistics are published by MoJ, available here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).