The word 'prostitute' is banned in favour of 'person'

The term 'common prostitute' will be banished from English law. Instead, sex workers must be referred to as 'persons'.

In the final act of the Blair Government, Ministers also announced that tens of thousands of convicts who re-offend will receive softer punishments or escape jail altogether.

It is yet another attempt to reduce prison overcrowding, only days after ministers ordered the early release of 25,500 burglars, thieves and drug dealers.

Outlining yesterday's Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, Justice Minister David Hanson said it was no longer acceptable for women or rent boys to carry the 'label' of prostitution, which dates back to the 1824 Vagrancy Act.

He said that, in future, to receive any punishment at all, their offending must be classed as 'persistent'. This means they must be caught selling sex twice in any three month period.

Even 'persistent' offenders will escape the current fine for a first offence. Instead, they will be ordered to attend three meetings with a supervisor or counsellor, and will be given help to kick addictions to alcohol or drugs.

Only those who fail to turn up will face punishment, of up to 72 hours in custody.

Critics said the measures in the Bill provided a fitting end to a decade in which the Prime Minister promised to be 'tough on crime' while repeatedly letting offenders off the hook.

The Bill has the stated intention of cutting the prison population by nearly 1,400.

To achieve this, courts will be banned from giving suspended prison sentences to low-level criminals, which potentially land them in jail if they re-offend. And nondangerous convicts released from prison early on licence will be sent back to jail for a maximum of 28 days if they commit another crime.

At present, they could be forced to serve the remainder of their sentences, possibly running into years.

The Bill, Labour's 55th piece of law and order legislation since 1997, will enshrine into law a mixed bag of promises and announcements made over the past year.

Among them are a change in the law to stop offenders who are 'plainly guilty' from having their convictions quashed because of procedural irregularities, and the creation of a new offence of possessing extreme pornography.