Letter: Standards of lawyers, editors and Cabinet ministers

Sir: You report ('Universities told to reject students who cannot spell', 24 September) that John Patten, the Secretary of State for Education, has told universities that they should reject candidates who are poor users of English. Perhaps members of the Cabinet should also be tested on their understanding of English, with particular reference to the ministerial guidance on acceptance of gifts.

Yours faithfully,

A. J. S. MANN

School of Mathematics, Statistics

and Computing

University of Greenwich

London, SE18