17 MAY 1968, Page 30

Age of consent Sir : Now that Parliament is to

iron out anoma- lies affecting the age of majority, it might also take another look at the age of consent.

It has always struck me as an odd reflection on the national character that British women should be considered perfectly capable of defending their honour from the age of sixteen while British men need legal protection to the age of twenty-one.

I think most reasonable people would accept eighteen as the appropriate age in these cases, too.