Readers reply: Why do windows in the UK open outwards?

‘I’ve seen windowsills in Germany so wide that you could swing your legs up and sit on them sunning yourself.’ Photograph: romrodinka/Getty Images

I have lived in many countries where the windows open inwards. Not only are they easy to clean (at any storey level), but also you can also attach insect nets to the outside and still open the windows without any interference. Why is it standard in the UK to have windows that open outwards? Ben, via email

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