The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Press Release

Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

For Immediate Release
28 January 2026

Bishops’ Conference Calls for Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has written to the First Minister of Scotland to express the Church’s support for the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, currently before the Scottish Parliament.

In the letter, the Bishops’ Conference describes the Bill, tabled by independent MSP, Ash Regan, as “a vital step toward protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and addressing the systemic harms associated with prostitution in Scotland.”

Protecting Victims and Challenging Demand

The Bill’s central purpose—to reduce prostitution and tackle exploitation, coercion, and harm—is described as both compelling and necessary.

It proposes a new offence for the purchase of sexual acts, while repealing outdated laws that historically penalised those who were themselves victims. The Bill would also quash previous convictions under section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, removing what Bishop Keenan calls a “significant barrier” to rebuilding lives.

The Bishops’ Conference supports the Bill’s adoption of a “challenging demand” model, shifting criminal responsibility away from individuals exploited through prostitution—overwhelmingly women and girls—and onto the buyers who fuel the commercial sex market. This model reflects international best practice and aligns with Scotland’s wider commitments to tackling violence against women and girls.

Addressing Vulnerability and Trauma

The letter highlights the deep vulnerabilities that underpin involvement in prostitution. Many affected individuals have experienced childhood abuse, care experience, grooming, and trauma, with young people—particularly those leaving care—at high risk of exploitation. Technology has intensified these risks, expanding opportunities for manipulation.

Human Trafficking Concerns

The Bishops’ Conference also emphasises the Bill’s relevance to combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a significant and documented issue in Scotland. International evidence links reductions in trafficking to demand‑reduction legislation. Bishop Brian McGee, Vice‑President of the Bishops’ Conference, has contributed insight from his work with the Santa Marta Group, an international alliance dedicated to ending human trafficking. He believes the Bill reflects “the realities identified by trafficked people, law enforcement, and Church agencies around the world.”

Right to Support

A key component of the proposed legislation is the creation of a statutory right to support for anyone currently or previously involved in prostitution. This includes access to accommodation, financial aid, healthcare, and counselling—supports deemed essential for enabling safe and sustainable exits from prostitution.

Call for Political Leadership

Acknowledging differing political opinions, and expecting Parliament to provide considerable scrutiny from which the Bill can benefit, the letter urges the Scottish Government to show leadership by backing the Bill, underscoring its potential to protect vulnerable women and girls, prevent trafficking, and advance equality.

ENDS

Contact:
Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

< READ LETTER

The Roman Catholic Bishops in Scotland work together to undertake nationwide initiatives through their Commissions and Agencies.

The members of the Bishops' Conference are the Bishops of the eight Scottish Dioceses. Where appropriate the Bishops Emeriti (retired) provide a much welcomed contribution to the work of the conference. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is a permanently constituted assembly which meets regularly throughout the year to address relevant business matters.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Click here to visit the Jubilee 2025 website

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by tag: Bishops' Conference of ScotlandReturn

January 2026

29Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 4:21-25)

29 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 4:21-25)

At that time: Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

28Jan

Human Fraternity in Practice: Responding to Migrants and Refugees Today

28 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | Being Catholic |

Human Fraternity in Practice: Responding to Migrants and Refugees Today
Join us in person to explore how we can support migrants and refugees through real-life acts of human fraternity from across the community!

This inspiring in-person event we'll dive into how human fraternity can shape our response to migrants and refugees. It's all about practical steps and real stories that highlight compassion and action. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn and help us all make a difference together.

We will have keynote speeches from the Christian and Muslim faiths as well as presentations from Holyrood and St Rochs Secondary school. The event culminates with a panel of experts who work within professional refugee support networks. i.e. Maryhill Integration Network, Govan Community project and West of Scotland Regional Equality Council.

Register: https://shorturl.at/Y5DPq

28Jan

Saint Thomas Aquinas is widely recognised as one of the greatest minds in the history of the Church and the leading voice in bri...

28 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Saint Thomas Aquinas is widely recognised as one of the greatest minds in the history of the Church and the leading voice in bringing faith and reason into harmony. Known as the Angelic Doctor, he is honoured as a Doctor of the Church for the enduring depth and clarity of his teaching.

Born into a noble family, Thomas was sent at a young age to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino. While studying later in Naples, he encountered the philosophy of Aristotle, which would profoundly shape his thinking. Against his family’s wishes, he chose the Dominican way of life, a decision that led to a period of captivity at home before he was allowed to pursue his vocation.

Thomas studied under Saint Albert the Great and went on to teach in Paris and elsewhere, serving the Church as a theologian, teacher and advisor. His work sought to show that human reason and divine revelation are not opposed but together lead us to truth, since both come from God.

His greatest work, the Summa Theologiae, was intended to present the whole of Catholic theology. After a profound spiritual experience near the end of his life, he ceased writing, saying that all he had written seemed like straw compared to what had been revealed to him. He died in 1274, leaving a legacy that continues to shape Catholic thought to this day.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

28Jan

Bishops’ Conference Calls for Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

28 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Bishops’ Conference Calls for Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has written to the First Minister of Scotland to express the Church’s support for the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, currently before the Scottish Parliament.

In the letter, the Bishops’ Conference describes the Bill, tabled by independent MSP, Ash Regan, as “a vital step toward protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and addressing the systemic harms associated with prostitution in Scotland.”

Protecting Victims and Challenging Demand

The Bill’s central purpose—to reduce prostitution and tackle exploitation, coercion, and harm—is described as both compelling and necessary.
It proposes a new offence for the purchase of sexual acts, while repealing outdated laws that historically penalised those who were themselves victims. The Bill would also quash previous convictions under section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, removing what Bishop Keenan calls a “significant barrier” to rebuilding lives.

The Bishops’ Conference supports the Bill’s adoption of a “challenging demand” model, shifting criminal responsibility away from individuals exploited through prostitution—overwhelmingly women and girls—and onto the buyers who fuel the commercial sex market. This model reflects international best practice and aligns with Scotland’s wider commitments to tackling violence against women and girls.

Addressing Vulnerability and Trauma

The letter highlights the deep vulnerabilities that underpin involvement in prostitution. Many affected individuals have experienced childhood abuse, care experience, grooming, and trauma, with young people—particularly those leaving care—at high risk of exploitation. Technology has intensified these risks, expanding opportunities for manipulation.

Human Trafficking Concerns

The Bishops’ Conference also emphasises the Bill’s relevance to combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a significant and documented issue in Scotland. International evidence links reductions in trafficking to demand-reduction legislation. Bishop Brian McGee, Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference, has contributed insight from his work with the Santa Marta Group, an international alliance dedicated to ending human trafficking. He believes the Bill reflects “the realities identified by trafficked people, law enforcement, and Church agencies around the world.”

Right to Support

A key component of the proposed legislation is the creation of a statutory right to support for anyone currently or previously involved in prostitution. This includes access to accommodation, financial aid, healthcare, and counselling—supports deemed essential for enabling safe and sustainable exits from prostitution.

Call for Political Leadership

Acknowledging differing political opinions, and expecting Parliament to provide considerable scrutiny from which the Bill can benefit, the letter urges the Scottish Government to show leadership by backing the Bill, underscoring its potential to protect vulnerable women and girls, prevent trafficking, and advance equality.

28Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 4:1-20)

28 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 4:1-20)

At that time: Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’

And when he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.” ’

And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns: they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.’

27Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:31-35)

27 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:31-35)

At that time: The mother of Jesus and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.’ And he answered them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.’

26Jan

Join people from across Scotland for the Stations of the Cross each Monday in Lent at 7:45pm

26 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Join people from across Scotland for the Stations of the Cross each Monday in Lent at 7:45pm. Includes a brief reflection from a guest speaker.

Register at bit.ly/stations26

26Jan

Saints Timothy and Titus were close companions of Saint Paul and among his most trusted co workers in spreading the Gospel

26 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Saints Timothy and Titus were close companions of Saint Paul and among his most trusted co workers in spreading the Gospel. Their lives, as recorded in the New Testament, show the early Church being built amid hardship, opposition and constant travel.

Saint Timothy was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, and was brought to faith through the witness of his family and Saint Paul himself. Converted around the year 47, he became one of Paul’s closest collaborators, assisting him in founding churches and carrying out difficult missions. Though young and naturally timid, Timothy was entrusted with great responsibility, eventually representing Paul in Ephesus. Paul’s letters to him reveal both deep affection and practical pastoral guidance.

Saint Titus was a Gentile convert and a valued missionary partner of Paul. Known for his wisdom and calm leadership, he was often sent to resolve tensions within troubled communities. Paul relied on him during a particularly difficult period in Corinth, where Titus helped restore peace and unity. Later, he was placed in charge of the Church on Crete, tasked with organising the community and appointing leaders.

Together, Timothy and Titus stand as examples of faithful service, pastoral courage and trust in God amid the challenges of the early Church.

Saints Timothy and Titus, pray for us.

26Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:22-30)

26 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:22-30)

At that time: The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘By the prince of demons he casts out the demons.’ And he called them to him and said to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

‘Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’ — for they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

25Jan

Gospel of the day (Matthew 4:12-23)

25 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Matthew 4:12-23)

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.