§ Sir Geoffrey Johnson SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Australian and Canadian Governments' approval of retrospective awards of a special service medal for prescribed peacekeeping and non-warlike operations for the period 1945 to 1975; and what plans Her Majesty's Government have to issue a similar medal for Her Majesty's forces. [3240]
§ Mr. SoamesThe decision of a Commonwealth Government to institute retrospectively the award of a medal for any service operation, and any approval which Her Majesty the Queen may have given as Queen of that Commonwealth country, is the sole responsibility of the country concerned. It has been a long-standing policy of successive British Governments not to consider the belated institution of medals and awards, and we therefore have no plans to introduce any medals for the period 1945 to 1975 additional to those already approved.