Oxford MP Evan Harris has walked into a storm over his plans for children as young as seven to get sex education.

The Liberal Democrat NHS spokesman was due to present a private member's bill in Parliament today allowing primary school pupils to be given classes in sex and relationships.

He argues that Britain has the highest rate in Europe for conception, abortion and unwanted pregnancies among teenagers.

Mr Harris - who represents Oxford West and Abingdon - also claims the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases is high. But family values campaigners have hit back at the proposals, saying they are "fundamentally wrong".

Valerie Riches, director of Family and Youth Concern, said: "Children between the ages of five and 11 just need to develop socially and not have a whole range of sexual information fed into them. Their questions can be answered appropriately, rather than information input which might be wholly damaging to their development." A spokesman for the Department of Education said sex education was compulsory at secondary level but parents had the right to withdraw their children.

Primary schools should have a policy on whether or not to provide sex education, with parents informed and given the right to withdraw.

Story date: Tuesday 04 May

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