In an effort to crack down on offenders, British Transport Police are currently running Operation Earn, and undercover police regularly patrol London's Underground. "The 'irresistible urge?' Quite frankly, I think that's crap That's a legal term, and you can quote me on it. These offences have nothing to do with sexual attraction, and everything to do with power."The oldest rape victim last year, says Ms Bindel, was 93: "Nobody has done a study into how many beautiful women have been raped, compared to less attractive women, but I rather doubt it makes any difference."Away from the workplace, public transport is another prime location for sexual assault. He told the jury: "When you see my girlfriend then you will realise I don't need to carry out indecent assaults. Some people have described her as stunning - and I'd agree with that."He was acquitted.Similarly, a sexual assault charge against a barrister failed last year after his wife testified in court to their "loving relationship, both emotionally and physically", and declared the allegations "ludicrous"."The jury has to ask itself," explains Miss Ray-Crosby, "did the defendant intend to derive any sexual pleasure from touching the woman? If she is, objectively, frightfully ugly, they might think he probably did not."Such logic is based on the assumption that sexual assault is motivated by sexual desire "What?" scoffs Ms Maguire. Pc Bridle admitted straddling one WPc, but only in a "jokey way"; his denial of ever touching her colleague was backed up by his belief that she looked like a "bulldog chewing a wasp".Earlier this year, a fashion store manager charged with sexual assaults on female staff produced, in court, his 20-year-old girlfriend.

"But the perpetrator always knows when he is committing an offence. When men banter with each other they don't tweak each other's nipples."Julie Bindel, of Justice for Women, says: "We all know the difference between banter and abuse - and that's why we don't all end up in court. When men say they are confused, what they really mean is they are confused about why they can't get away with it any more."A defendant may also claim that the assault could not have been indecent, as he had no sexual purpose or interest toward the complainant. It is when he argues that his conduct was appropriate in a modern, sexually demonstrative workplace that the offence becomes the fulcrum of contemporary sexual politics."If everybody is going around touching each other all the time," says Irena Ray-Crosby, a barrister, "the poor chap could say he felt pretty aggrieved if they called it indecent assault when he did it. Women's groups may say that men always know what is and isn't acceptable - well, they would, wouldn't they? But I don't believe that they do."Other lawyers disagree.

"Of course different behaviour is acceptable in different contexts," says Sarah Maguire, another barrister, and chair of Rights of Women. Several senior Army medics have moved into the NHS, including Major-General Peter Craig, now a consultant in the accident and emergency unit at Wansbeck General Hospital. Both Sir Thomas and Sir David have experience as chairmen of NHS Trusts.According to Sir David, "enormous talent" is being unloaded from the services. Whether in future Conservative ministers will be as keen to employ it as they once were remains to be seen.. Sheep, they used to say, may safely graze But that was before farming became industrialised. Last week, it was revealed that sheep had been infected with BSE after eating contaminated food. That was an experiment, carried out under laboratory conditions. But what do all those sheep in the hills and fields actually eat? Don't they just grow plump on a diet of fresh upland grasses, as the meat producers tell us?Not quite.

In its report on the experiments, cited by Douglas Hogg, the agriculture minister, in the House of Commons last week, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee revealed the production of manufactured feed for sheep has more than quadrupled since 1980.In that year, one tonne of sheep feed was produced for every 230 sheep; in 1984, one tonne for every 125 sheep; in 1988, one for every 90 sheep.Since then, the increase has slowed - to one tonne for every 80 sheep in 1992. In the early Fifties, General Sir Ian Jacob became director-general of the BBC. Recent examples of generals on transfer include Sir Peter Baldwin, chief executive of the Independent Radio Authority.But the trickle has become a steady stream as the "Options for Change" defence review has slashed military postings. One day it was Roy Mason (Labour Northern Ireland Secretary), then it was Humphrey Atkin (who took over when Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979). I was still commanding Belfast."Since the Duke of Wellington's time, the occasional senior officer has left the Forces to start a public career - though none since has ended up as Prime Minister. Frankly I never fudge if I see something I don't think right."Sir David clearly feels he would be able to serve under a Home Secretary of a different political stripe "I was in command of a brigade in Belfast.