We are familiar with the concept of an ageing population and all that entails. Nevertheless, it is astonishing to learn from the new report Growing Older in Oxfordshire that the number of people over 80 living in this county is expected to double over the next 20 years.

This will place huge demands on the public resources of this county and, when extrapolated nationally, on the purse strings at Westminster.

At a time when public expenditure is being reined in, the demands on public expenditure caused by an ageing population will grow.

Ironically, the very ageing of the population makes coping with added demands on resources all the more difficult. There is no easy way out for policy makers and legislators.

In its report, however, Oxfordshire Age UK has identified many measures that are not expensive. In many instances, they are things that could be provided by voluntary groups or the charitable sector, or that could be provided by a reworking of the way things are done at local authorities.

It is a valuable contribution to debate on an issue that none of us can ignore.