§ Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Prime Minister whether he will now announce details of the programme to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Queen's accession to the Throne.
§ The Prime MinisterAs my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 7th August, the Queen had been graciously pleased to approve my recommendation that the twenty-fifth anniversary of Her accession to the Throne should be celebrated during the summer of 1977.
The Queen has now approved certain recommendations about the programme of celebrations.
Her Majesty will attend Thanksgiving Services in St. Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday 7th June 1977 and in Glasgow Cathedral on 17th May.
During the summer of 1977 the Queen will tour extensively to meet people in many parts of the United Kingdom. In addition to the Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul's there will be a series of functions in London in June, at the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting; reviews will be held of the Armed Services and the police; and the Queen will broadcast to the Commonwealth on the evening of 7th June. The day of the Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul's will be a Bank Holiday and the Spring Bank Holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which would normally fall on Monday 30th May will be held over until Monday 6th June, so as to precede it.
Discussions will be held with the Scottish local authorities about a public holiday in Scotland.
The main events of the programme of celebrations approved by the Queen are listed below. The celebrations will include the presentation of Addresses by 688W the Houses of Parliament. Further details will be announced later.
In formulating recommendations to put to the Queen the Government have borne in mind Her Majesty's express wish that there should be no undue expenditure; and they trust that it will also be taken into account by others who may wish to organise celebratory events. The cost of the central programme will be met by the appropriate Departments and organisations from within existing expenditure limits. It will not be possible for the Government to make additional or special contributions towards the cost of other events organised outside this central programme, and the scope for expenditure by local authorities and similar bodies will be restricted by the prevailing financial constraints.
Nevertheless the Government hope—and believe—that it will be possible for the anniversary to be marked in a variety of interesting and appropriate ways. Local authorities will probably wish to mark the jubilee by organising special events, such as entertainments for old-age pensioners, outings for schoolchildren and appropriate displays. Some may wish to link the occasion with the opening of some already planned permanent addition to local amenities. The Government would welcome such local contributions to the jubilee. The Chairmen of the Arts and Sports Councils and other bodies are biing consulted about the organisation of the suitable range of functions within their fields, and the Government hope that there will be other organisations and individuals who will wish to arrange celebrations in honour of the Queen in Her jubilee year.
It is the Queen's wish that as many people as possible should have the opportunity to celebrate Her jubilee in their own neighbourhoods. The days of the proposed public holidays will provide particularly appropriate occasions for this.
The Royal Mint will issue a commemorative crown piece with a face value of 25 new pence.
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SILVER JUBILEE PROGRAMME FOR THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH IN THE SUMMER OF 1977 May Thursday 5th … … … … … Police Review. Tuesday 17th … … … … … Glasgow Cathedral—Thanksgiving Service. Wednesday 18th … … … … Edinburgh. Thursday 19th … … … … … Dundee. Friday 20th … … … … … Aberdeen. Monday 23rd … … … … … Edinburgh. Thisstle Service at St. Gilles. Tuesday 24th … … … … … Opening of General Assembly. Wednesday 25th … … … … Thursday 26th … … … … … Garden Party at Holyroodhouse. Friday 27th … … … … … June Monday 6th (Spring Bank Holiday) … … Tuesday 7th (Silver Jubilee Bank Holiday) … Thanksgiving Sercive at St. Paul's Lunch at Guildhall. The Queen broadcasts to the Commonwealth. Thursday 9th … … … … … River Progress on the Thames. Saturday 11th … … … … … The Queen's Brithday Parade. R.A.F. Fly Past. Monday 13th … … … … … Garter Service at Windsor. Monday 20th … … … … … Lancashire. Merseyside. Tuesday 21st … … … … … Greater Manchester. Embark HMY "Britannia". Wednesday 22nd … … … … Gywnedd. Thursday 23rd … … … … … West Wales and Swansea. Friday 24th … … … … … South Wales and Cardiff. Tuesday 28th … … … … … Naval Review at Spithead. Thursday 30th … … … … … First London Tour. July Wednesday 6th … … … … … Second London Tour. Thursday 7th … … … … … Army Review in West Germany. Monday 11th … … … … … Suffolk and Norfolk. Embark HMT "Britannia". Tuesday 12th … … … … … Humberside and yorkshire. Wednesday 13th … … … … Thursday 14th … … … … … North-East counties. Friday 15th … … … … … Tuesday 19th … … … … … Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Thursday 21st … … … … … Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Tuesday 26th … … … … … Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Wednesday 27th … … … … West Midlands. Thursday 28th … … … … … Decrbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Friday 29th … … … … … R.A.F. REview at Finningley. August Thursday 4th … … … … … Embark HMY "Britannia". Friday 5th … … … … … Devon. Inspection of Royal Marine forces at Plymouth. Saturday 6th … … … … … Cornwall. Monday 8th … … … … … Avon. Wednesday 10th … … … … Northern Ireland. Thursday 11th … … … … …