General Service Medal

HL Deb 24 July 2002 vol 638 c83WA

Lord Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made on the award of a General Service Medal to those who served in the armed forces in the Suez canal zone from 1951 to 1954. [HL5536]

Lord Bach

The Government consider it important to respect the principle that where there is a clear, demonstrable decision taken within five years of a campaign that a General Service Medal should not be awarded, that decision should not be reopened.

The evidence relating to consideration of a General Service Medal for the Suez canal zone is however less clear-cut. A number of representations have been made by the veterans of that campaign with which the Government have considerable sympathy.

In view of these exceptional circumstances, the Government are setting up a small sub-committee of HD Committee under the chairmanship of General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank to report on the case for an exceptional award of a General Service Medal for the Suez canal zone without creating wider precedent or breaching longstanding principles which underpin the making of such awards.