HONOURS LISTS (Hansard, 29 January 1974)

§ Ql. Mr. Dormand
asked the Prime Minister what recent representations have been made to him on his responsibility for honours lists; and what replies he has sent.

§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)
As I explained to the hon. Gentleman last year, I have many suggestions of candidates for inclusion in honours lists. In general, I reply that these will be carefully considered. I receive very few representations about my responsibilities for recommending honours to the Queen; and those which I do receive mostly take the form of comments on individual recommendations, to which I reply as seems appropriate in each case.

§ Mr. Dormand
I ask the Prime Minister to accept that I believe that many worthy people are included in honours lists, but is it not a fact that many hundreds more no less worthy are never considered for inclusion? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that certain aspects of the system—such as semi-automatic awards to senior civil servants and the Queen's being able to honour Prince Richard—bring the system into disrepute? On that basis, should not scores of miners be included in every honours list? For these and other reasons, is not the whole system a farce, and should it not be abolished?

§ The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman put forward the same thesis on rather different grounds last year, when I found myself unable to accept his proposal that the lists should be abolished. I still find myself in that position today. Undoubtedly there are many worthy citizens who do a great deal of voluntary work of one kind and another, whom one would like to recognise, but my predecessors and I have done our best to ensure 239 that the recommendations come from as wide a field as possible. I, personally, will continue to do that.

§ Mr. Tebbit
When my right hon. Friend is considering the next dissolution honours list, in view of the likely trend of events in Bristol will he consider reviving the title of Lord Stansgate so that we do not entirely lose the services of the right hon. Member for Bristol, South-East (Mr. Benn) at Westminster?

§ The Prime Minister
Precedent shows that it is unnecessary to have a dissolution honours list after being returned to power.

Mr. Deputy Speaker
Mr. Hamilton—next Question.

§ Mr. William Hamilton
When will the Prime Minister take his own earldom?

Mr. Deputy Speaker
Order. I have called the next Question.