Letter: A dubious precedent

Sir: David Hunt's proposal to give housewives some form of qualification in recognition of their skills (report, 9 July) is not without an interesting precedent.

A very similar scheme, whereby experienced housewives would be publicly recognised as having a status equivalent to that of master craftsmen, was floated in National Socialist Germany. The American sociologist Clifford Kirkpatrick described the scheme in his book Women in Nazi Germany, published in 1939. As he described it, the scheme certainly had some merit as an attempt to elevate the status of hausfraus, and I would recommend Mr Hunt to study the book.

Of course, the fact that the Nazis were committed to 'traditional family values' and keeping women at home is of no relevance whatsoever to our present-day Conservatives.

Yours truly,

ANDREW ERIKSEN-BROWN

Hilborough, Norfolk