Sir, With all my respects, I do hope you are not forgetting the subjunctive. The final paragraph of last week's first leader is misleading: "It is important that this is not allowed to stand in the way of these . . . schemes". If it is allowed, what is your concern? I believe that your meaning is "that this not be allowed" or, if you don't care for the regular American usage, "that this should not be allowed".

Professor G. L. Lewis, St Antony's College, Oxford