§ The savings we hope to achieve in the fields I have just mentioned will help to reduce the burden imposed by our proposed increases in expenditure on pensions, food and housing. They will still leave large sums to be covered by increases in taxation. So they will not allow us to increase expenditure on other major programmes, desirable as this would be in other circumstances. I cannot, therefore, at this time budget for any net increases in other programmes in the coming year following the reductions which my predecessor announced on 17th December. As the situation becomes clearer, we shall of course consider the further reshaping of all our expenditure programmes in the light of the general prospects for the economy and our own priorities.
§ Mr. Peter Emery (Honiton)Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. George Thomas)Order. It is a long-standing convention that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not interrupted during the Budget Statement.