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No question, Britain needs more prison places.

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Dangerous criminals should be behind bars, and the public should be confident the justice system can protect them. Releasing prisoners early due to overcrowding suggests we have a problem. So, a pledge to build 50,000 new prison places must be welcomed. But how do you pay for it?

Around 12% of our prison population are foreign nationals, some of whom will have no right to remain in Britain. More should certainly be done to expedite the return of foreign offenders who can be removed. But I’d argue that well-targeted overseas aid can also improve security at home by strengthening governance and security in the very parts of the world from which many migrants flee.

With increasing financial pressures at home, not least paying for more prison places, I understand why some see overseas aid as an easy place to find savings. Taxpayers’ money should........

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