Counting prostitution and drugs in the GDP figure has seen the UK's economy overtake France

Rowdy

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Who said crime doesn't pay? Counting prostitution and drugs in the GDP figure has seen the UK's economy overtake France as fifth largest in the world
The UK has overtaken France to become the fifth largest economy in the world after the money made from prostitution and drugs was counted in the GDP figure for the first time.

Britain's economy is expected to be worth a total £1.86trillion in 2014 - up from £1.63trillion the previous year - compared to £1.82trillion in France, new calculations reveal.

Government figures show that prostitution added about £4.3billion to the economy while illegal drugs provided a roughly £6.7billion boost.



Boost: The darker corners of the economy are now being counted - alongside traditional sectors such as farming and financial services - as part of an overhaul in the way economic activity is measured


This year is the first time that the GDP - an economic estimate produced every three months by the Office For National Statistics (ONS) - has included the money made from illegal drugs and sex work.

The darker corners of the economy are now being measured - alongside traditional sectors such as farming and financial services - as part of an overhaul in the way economic activity is calculated.
The change, which was introduced as part of EU rules implemented earlier this year, means that a booming sex trade or an expansion in the market for illegal drugs can boost the Chancellor's outlook.


And when these more inclusive figures edged the nation ahead of France in world rankings when they were used in calculations of the size of the UK's economy.

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION: WORLD ECONOMIC LEAGUE TABLE 2014

  1. United States
  2. China
  3. Japan
  4. Germany
  5. United Kingdom
  6. France
  7. Brazil
  8. Italy
  9. India
  10. Russia
Source: Centre for Economics and Business Research


But experts at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, who produced the World Economic League Table, noted that France did not include the sex work and illegal drugs in its estimations.

Illegal drugs and sex work were worth £12.3bn, or 0.7 per cent of our GDP, making them as economically significant as agriculture, according to ONS figures released this year.

The CEBR expects Britain to pull further ahead of France in the coming years. The data also showed that China is expected to overtake the US as the world's largest economy in 2025.

Meanwhile, the figures also showed the impact of the economic crisis in Russia, which slipped two places in the 2014 league table to tenth, back below India and Italy.
It added that, if it did, there was a possibility that it might retake its fifth place position - and that the UK might drop down to sixth.


France does not include prostitution and illegal drugs in calculations as it does not believe they constitute 'voluntary commercial activity', adding that they are often tied to criminal networks.

The GDP covers every sector - from manufacturing and construction to agriculture, public services and tourism.

It now also covers the import, production and sale of illegal drugs and the ‘provision of prostitution services’.

The data classes growing drugs or importing them as ‘production’, buying them for home use as ‘expenditure’ and selling them as ‘income’.

It covers crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamines.

While some EU countries give a detailed breakdown of prostitution types such as ‘street’ and ‘escorts’, the UK is not able to do this with the data available.
@Mad Indian @Rashna @maomao @Khagesh @Tshering22 @Sakal Gharelu Ustad @roma @abingdonboy @Screambowl @VivekShah @Blackwater
 

Mad Indian

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Prostitution should be legalised for a entirely different reason- because criminalising it is just interfering with people's private life which the govt has no right to
 

Ray

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Who said crime doesn't pay? Counting prostitution and drugs in the GDP figure has seen the UK's economy overtake France as fifth largest in the world

Government figures show that prostitution added about £4.3billion to the economy while illegal drugs provided a roughly £6.7billion boost.





How do they get the accurate figures of prostitution and illegal drug income?
 

Ray

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Prostitution should be legalised for a entirely different reason- because criminalising it is just interfering with people's private life which the govt has no right to

As I see it, it is quite a complex issue.

If prostitution is legalised, then should the Govt be responsible for AIDS victims?

The Govt will have to have a huge number of inspectors to see that there is no freelancing.
 

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Agree with @Mad Indian. Prostitution happens, and will continue to happen. Just quit the hypocrisy, legalize it, apply income tax on prostitutes, enforce billing systems in brothels, bring them out into the open.

It definitely needs to be included in GDP figures, not just in the UK, but all over the world.
 

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As I see it, it is quite a complex issue.

If prostitution is legalised, then should the Govt be responsible for AIDS victims?

The Govt will have to have a huge number of inspectors to see that there is no freelancing.
My take on this: prostitution takes place in any case. It is one industry that is impossible to curb. So, AIDS victims exist now, and will exist in future. If anything, there will be less cases of STDs due to higher regulation etc.

I don't think we need to have any inspectors at all. Let there be freelancing or even organized brothels. The former will pay income tax, the latter will pay corporate tax PLUS individual income taxes. Some will try to evade, but hey - that's what lawyers, architects, doctors and other professionals do anyway even today.
 

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My take on this: prostitution takes place in any case. It is one industry that is impossible to curb. So, AIDS victims exist now, and will exist in future. If anything, there will be less cases of STDs due to higher regulation etc.

I don't think we need to have any inspectors at all. Let there be freelancing or even organized brothels. The former will pay income tax, the latter will pay corporate tax PLUS individual income taxes. Some will try to evade, but hey - that's what lawyers, architects, doctors and other professionals do anyway even today.
As i see it, if there is regulation, then it requires regulators who will be Govt servants.

If having illicit sex with prostitutes is freedom from Govt not interfering with private life, then why should the Govt and the Nation pay for those who are having a whale of a time and getting aids.

Why should the honest taxpayers be penalised by the Govt opening up specialised wards for AIDS and giving out subsidised medicines?

The Govt or the non prostitute visiting taxpayers cannot be held at ransom by those who approach sex with a cavalier devil may care attitude.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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As i see it, if there is regulation, then it requires regulators who will be Govt servants.

If having illicit sex with prostitutes is freedom from Govt not interfering with private life, then why should the Govt and the Nation pay for those who are having a whale of a time and getting aids.

Why should the honest taxpayers be penalised by the Govt opening up specialised wards for AIDS and giving out subsidised medicines?

The Govt or the non prostitute visiting taxpayers cannot be held at ransom by those who approach sex with a cavalier devil may care attitude.
What makes you think organized prostitution will lead to more Aids than current conditions?
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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Given skewed sex ratio, India will have to go down this line sooner or later, legally or illegally.
 

rock127

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The word "LEGAL" in India doesn't hold much ground.

Legally a hit and run case criminal would spend half his life before verdict comes up and in some cases(Sanjay Dutt/Salman et al) middle finger is shown to the "LAW" and they get bailed or frequent vacations out of jail.
 

Cliff@sea

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Principles aside,
I dont think any body here is giving due thought to the consequences of legalising prostitution in a global scenario.

If prostitution were to be legalised , India would become the hotspot for sex tourism in the region , as it would be the only country in South Asia to do so , not only would India attract leachers from all over the world but foreign prostitues and pimps as well and along with that all kind of associated crimal gangs.

Do we really want India to be viewed in the same way as Thailand is ?
i dont, and i m sure there would be others who would agree with me here.

not a very good idea IMHO.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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Principles aside,
I dont think any body here is giving due thought to the consequences of legalising prostitution in a global scenario.

If prostitution were to be legalised , India would become the hotspot for sex tourism in the region , as it would be the only country in South Asia to do so , not only would India attract leachers from all over the world but foreign prostitues and pimps as well and along with that all kind of associated crimal gangs.

Do we really want India to be viewed in the same way as Thailand is ?
i dont, and i m sure there would be others who would agree with me here.

not a very good idea IMHO.
Does more criminal gangs spring up when things are illegal or when they are legal?
 

Cliff@sea

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The number of gangs would be directly proportional to the number of prostitutes operating , dont you think ?

legal or illegal , pimps would have the same negative effect on the society
 

rock127

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Principles aside,
I dont think any body here is giving due thought to the consequences of legalising prostitution in a global scenario.

If prostitution were to be legalised , India would become the hotspot for sex tourism in the region , as it would be the only country in South Asia to do so , not only would India attract leachers from all over the world but foreign prostitues and pimps as well and along with that all kind of associated crimal gangs.

Do we really want India to be viewed in the same way as Thailand is ?
i dont, and i m sure there would be others who would agree with me here.

not a very good idea IMHO.
That's a practical and valid point.

Everyone knows how women are abducted and trafficked illegally at very young age and they land up in whorehouse in big cities.If it's legalized then there would be even more trouble.

Even after being illegal these whorehouse run from slums to posh areas and if legalized it can be a dangerous situation overall.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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The number of gangs would be directly proportional to the number of prostitutes operating , dont you think ?

legal or illegal , pimps would have the same negative effect on the society
Gangs were all over India when gold import was illegal. Same goes for prostitution.

If prostitutes have protection from the government they would not turn to criminal gangs to help them from intimidation. Also, if there is enough supply of prostitutes, you would not need gangs to force women into prostitution.

And if India can import foreign prostitutes, even better. It will kill the demand for local prostitutes and thus associated forceful prostitution.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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That's a practical and valid point.

Everyone knows how women are abducted and trafficked illegally at very young age and they land up in whorehouse in big cities.If it's legalized then there would be even more trouble.

Even after being illegal these whorehouse run from slums to posh areas and if legalized it can be a dangerous situation overall.
They are trafficked more in places where it is illegal. If there are enough legal brothels, people would go there and it is much easier to track them and ensure that there are no minors.

I do not see how legality would allow trafficked girls in legal brothels.
 

Cliff@sea

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They are trafficked more in places where it is illegal. If there are enough legal brothels, people would go there and it is much easier to track them and ensure that there are no minors.
Can you please provide some kind of reference for this claim ?

Gangs were all over India when gold import was illegal. Same goes for prostitution.
Humans unlike gold are not a tangible commodity that can be effectively monitored in the same way as Gold is ,
Prostitution is illegal in most parts of the world , networks that traffick women are almost always criminal,
Legalising prostitution in India wont turn those gangs who traffick women illegally outside into law abiding businessmen here

And if India can import foreign prostitutes, even better. It will kill the demand for local prostitutes and thus associated forceful prostitution.
I dont think you see the obvious inductive effect of having legal foreign prostitutes in the country

There is too much of poverty here to motivate a much higher number of Indian women to turn to prostitution once it has been legalised.

I do not see how legality would allow trafficked girls in legal brothels.
Doesnt make sense, Come again ??

Most of prostitues are trafficked or coerced into prostitution, there are very few who join the profession willingly.
 

rock127

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They are trafficked more in places where it is illegal. If there are enough legal brothels, people would go there and it is much easier to track them and ensure that there are no minors.

I do not see how legality would allow trafficked girls in legal brothels.
You see things through lens of "LAW" and not what happens on ground practically. Do you know what happened in Khirki Extension in South Delhi some while ago when there was so much hulla boo?

You may not mind a new Whorehouse opening adjoining your home or mohalla OR renting rooms to some Whores from other states BUT a lot would mind.In India LAW is a joke and we are not really law abiding people by nature.

Can't say about foreign women but in India 99.99 % of women do not want to chose Prostitution as a "career" or a respectful way of earning.Kid grls are abducted and sold like Gold(perhaps thats your Girl and Gold Analogy) away from their home and by shame they rott in those Whorehouse and cant come back OR their family won't accept them back due to shame.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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You see things through lens of "LAW" and not what happens on ground practically. Do you know what happened in Khirki Extension in South Delhi?

You may not mind a new Whorehouse opening adjoining your home or mohalla but a lot would mind.In India LAW is a joke and we are not really law abiding people by nature.

Can't say about foreign women but in India 99.99 % of women do not want to chose Prostitution as a "career" or a respectful way of earning.
I never said to open it next to your or my house. There can be places or specific areas where it can be allowed. Given how it works today has no influence on how it can be designed to work.
 

rock127

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I never said to open it next to your or my house. There can be places or specific areas where it can be allowed. Given how it works today has no influence on how it can be designed to work.
Are you saying the Criminals who run Whorehouse would really care about which places "Govt" would decide? Once anything is legalized the criminals twist it to their advantage and at one point it would be too late to retreat.That's what you are not understanding and the consequences of how things turn into the deadly mix of whores+drugs+crimes.

We don't want our place to become "Thailand" or "Amsterdam" the Whore house of the world.

Even lot of 1st world countries are not making it legal barring some ultra liberal countries for whom it's a way to earn money and boost economy.
 

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