§ Q3. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Prime Minister what conclusions he has reached on his consideration of the need to advise an amendment of the regulations forbidding Her Majesty's subjects to wear decorations which they have been given permission to accept from foreign States.
§ The Prime MinisterThe regulations governing the wearing of foreign decorations have been under review, but I am not in a position to make any statement.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltMay I first declare no interest whatever myself in this Question? Would my right hon. Friend bear in mind that, excepting perhaps in some recesses of the Foreign Office, everyone in the country believes 200 that while there is some justification for saying that people in this country should not accept foreign orders, or orders from certain foreign countries, there is absolutely no logic in a rule which says that an order is fit to be received but not fit to be worn?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is a very long history behind this. It started, I believe, with the first Queen Elizabeth, who is supposed to have observed, perhaps rather discourteously:
My dog shall wear no collars but mine.Since that time there has been the system of accepting these decorations with the Queen's permission, and the question at issue is on what occasions they ought to be worn by British subjects.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltCould I have my right hon. Friend's assurance that he will take a serious new look at these regulations which, as he has said, are very old and are somewhat out of date in this modern age?
§ The Prime MinisterWe are looking at them, but this is a rather technical matter.