Prisons are packed and building new prisons are very expensive as you have the expense of the human infrastructure, staffing for example.

Sending people to prison is expensive on the public purse.

Increasing the population so quickly has costs.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Yep.

The only thing you can take from that article is what a t***, and a hypocrite, David Lammy is.

Optimistic as ever

Where would they get theirs from if they cleaned up the streets?

A stairway to Heaven and a Highway to Hell give some indication of expected traffic numbers

not if you sub contract it stirling.
a double fix.
prison for the heavy crimes is subbed out to asia / china, that in itself would be a deterrent, no soft time.
and waaaay cheaper on tax payer.

Kids,tired of being bothered by your pesky parents?
Then leave home, get a job & pay your own bills, while you still know everything.

Would have thought London could claim to be the coke capital of Europe by itself!

Well I think Simon's head is large; always involved in espionage. (Name that tune)

Another Govt example of the stable door flapping with the horse that has long bolted...

It's widely held that Westminster enjoys it's own vice ring e.g. rent boys; coke etc. Dolphin Square has reputedly been a hotbed for such activity over many a year. More a case of Minister espousing 'do as we say, not as we do'.

If Govt really did want to crack down on cocaine trade then they could start by investing in greater numbers operating border control as well as coastguard services. Trouble is our Prisons are full therefore even when offenders are caught there is nowhere to really send them.