At cross-purposes with minister 2

You quote Charles Clarke as calling for a "great debate" on universities. On the same day, you published my letter to Mr Clarke (Letters, THES , May 16) inviting him to a debate on the concept of the university in his constituency at the Philosophy Society, University of East Anglia. Again on the same day, I read an email from Mr Clarke saying that he was "too busy" to attend such a debate.

Does Mr Clarke need to attend a class in elementary logic? Or are logic and philosophy, too, adjudged by him as "useless"? Is that why he won't come and talk about this?

Rupert Read
University of East Anglia