§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Industry, how many of the 1976 Queen's Awards have not yet been presented to the winners; and if he will make a statement on reasons for delay of any outstanding presentations.
§ Mr. MeacherI have been asked to reply.
Some 78 of the 115 of the 1976 awards have been presented. Mutually agreed arrangements for presentations are made between the winners and the Lord Lieutenants who make them on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and some seven firms have asked for the ceremony to be delayed until emblems are available. The 7W presentation of the award normally incudes the delivery of the grant document of appointment and the emblem of the award encapsulated in a transparent mounting. The suppliers of the emblems have had a number of technical and other difficulties in manufacturing the emblems and these together with the changes in the emblems consequent on the 1975 review of the scheme have made it impossible to supply the emblem for most of the 1976 award presentations made to date. Initial supplies of the emblems are now being received and it is hoped that the situation will improve in the near future and that winners will receive emblems with the least possible further delay.