From gpm@st-andrews.ac.uk Fri Mar 19 05:14:02 1993

UK Age of Consent for Homosexual Acts

Postcard campaigns to the UK Prime Minister, contrary to popular belief, seldomwork.  In general postcards are counted to judge the size of the response, but this is done by civil servants.  Unless they deem that the affair could get 
out of hand and become of great public interest, the Prime Minister, or the
Minister concerned may not even be informed of the postcard campaign.  I know 
this to be true as I have a close friend who works in a major (no pun
intended!) government department.

If you really want to start an effective campaign and be an irritation to the 
UK government and civil servants, then you must write to the PM via your or anyappropriate Member of Parliament.  If you write to your MP asking him to raise the issue with the Prime minister, he is obliged to do this whether he believesin the issue or not.  (If he is not your own MP, he may refuse.)  If an MP 
raises an issue with the Prime Minister, this usually means the forwarding of 
your letter with a covering note to No 10.  This will then be passed to the 
relevant government department (ie the Home Office in this case) and an 
official reply will be drafted to your letter by some snotty-nosed civil 
servant.  This will be sent for approval at No 10 and then signed off by the 
PM's own fair hand.  The Citizen`s Charter requires you or your MP to receive areply within 14 days in normal circumstances.

I realise that this causes extra work for both your MP and the already 
overworked (!) civil servants, but it is the only way to guarantee that the 
Prime Minister will see your original letter, which need not be long.

Good luck and happy writing!!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The Address for your M.P. is

    [Name of M.P.] M.P.                  e.g Rt Hon Malcolm Rifkind M.P.,
     Member for [name of constituency]        Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands,
      The House of Commons                     The House of Commons, etc.
       Palace of Westminster
        London W.1

  Alternatively you may visit your M.P. in person to discuss the issue with him
or her at the regular constituency surgeries held by M.P.s Details of times and
+ venues may be found in the local press or by writing to your M.P. at the abov
+e address.
It is not a practical proposition to attempt to contact your M.P. by phone at
Westminster as he or she will probably not be availible for comment: a letter
 from a constituent DEMANDS a response and action. If you have his or her
home telephone number there is nothing to prevent you making a polite enquiry
for an interview......