I NOTE that George Cowley is not yet an old age pensioner. I am not saying that his views will change when he becomes one but mine certainly did.

Nevertheless, he makes a valid point, when in his list of priorities he mentioned health.

I would argue that a firmly-based and reasonable state financial provision represented a substantial aid to a healthy old age. There is, and always has been, a direct link between health and prosperity.

However, I wish to move to a wider focus. As I have stated before, this is a very wealthy country. There is ample cash available to fulfil both Mr Cowley's priorities and mine.

The problem here is the way that wealth and attendant taxation are distributed.

Ninety-two per cent of total private wealth in the UK is controlled by just half the population. And you don't need a degree in maths to see that the poorer 50 per cent have to make do with 8 per cent.

The rich are hardly overtaxed. In fact, the poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than their more fortunate fellow citizens. Whatever happened to progressive taxation?

Social democracy is a serious issue in the rest of Europe. Excepting Spain and Ireland, they all pay a greater proportion of GDP in taxes than we do, but then, they receive decent social provision. And significantly, the gap between rich and poor is much less than in the UK. Where did we go wrong?

A J C EVANS,

Callow End, Worcestershire.