Dr David Owen: I believe that that makes sense, and it is far better in concrete and specific terms than anything that Labour has proposed.
Dr David Owen: I do not believe that the hon. Gentleman is asking a question, and consequently I shall continue my speech.
Dr David Owen: This is an intrusion.
Dr David Owen: No, Mr. Deputy Speaker——
Dr David Owen: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Can we have a ruling from the Chair as to the length of time an intervention can be made in——
Dr David Owen: I hope that Mr. Speaker, when he looks at Hansard, will give some thought as to—[Interruption.]
Dr David Owen: rose——
Dr David Owen: I am certainly not reflecting on the conduct of the Chair.
Dr David Owen: I shall answer one of the questions asked by the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher). He asked about the costing of the programme. The costings of child benefit, one-parent benefit, pensions and the winter premium—£3·6 billion—were made by the right hon. Member for Sparkbrook in a speech to the British Institute of Management. The £4·7 billion is achieved by adding the £1·1...
Dr David Owen: No. I shall get on with my speech. The other question that needs to be raised is the burden of tax. The Paymaster General ingeniously argued that because wages had increased, it was not valid to examine the share of the tax burden of an increased wage. However, it is legitimate to raise that question when we constantly hear from the Prime Minister about how the Government are cutting taxes....
Dr David Owen: No. I have given way quite enough, and after my recent experience I shall not give way again.
Dr David Owen: I have given the facts. If the Paymaster General wishes to question the Treasury figures that have been given in Hansard, he may do so.
Dr David Owen: No. The right hon. and learned Gentleman spoke for a long time and enjoyed himself, as it was perfectly legitimate for him to do. My next question——
Dr David Owen: No. I am not giving way.
Dr David Owen: There are also inequalities in health, and again there is no thin ice, because the figures have largely been produced by the Government at the taxpayers' expense. The Government have a rather depressing record. The present Secretary of State was not involved, but when faced with statistics and facts in the report produced by Sir Douglas Black, the Government tried to avoid publishing them...
Dr David Owen: rose——
Dr David Owen: A total of 37 per cent. of 16 to 19-year-olds were in full-time education in 1984, but the proportion was as high as 72 per cent. among those with fathers in the professions and as low as 27 per cent. for the sons and daughters of semi-skilled or unskilled workers. The salutary fact is that in 1984 just 1 per cent. of those accepted into British universities came from the unskilled social...
Dr David Owen: I shall not give way to the hon. Gentleman. — who need some extra help and who have not participated in the overall rise in average earnings which has taken place over this period. All they have done has been held to take account of the rise in the cost of living. That means that a substantial number of people, who were either widowed in the war or who made considerable sacrifices in the...
Dr David Owen: We believe that in the National Health Service and the education budget there is a need to concentrate and target resources. That we shall do.
Dr David Owen: If the hon. Lady will forgive me, I should like to finish.