§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons stocks of the United Nations service medal with clasp "Korea" are exhausted; and when further medals will be made available. [17752]
§ Mr. Soames[holding answer 28 February 1997]: It is normal procedure that claims for the United Nations service medal with clasp "Korea" are passed to the appropriate single service medal office where eligibility may be confirmed following a check of service records. Until recently, stocks were held at the Army medal office. Those stocks were depleted in August 1995 and a request for additional medals was sent to UN headquarters, New York. In late 1996 the UN secretariat informed the United Kingdom mission to the UN that it did not intend to issue any more "Korea" medals, as its stocks were exhausted and no funds were available to purchase more.
Since then, the UN has granted permission to the British Government to purchase and issue the medal. Arrangements to identify a suitable source of supply are in hand. Following the necessary procurement action, eligible claimants will be issued with their medal.
Some 180 eligible British veterans of the Korean war are awaiting their UN medal at this time.