§ Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the establishment of a medal for those who served in the Canal Zone campaign 1951–54. [7174]
§ Dr. MoonieThere are no plans to institute a medal to recognise service in the Suez Canal Zone during the period 1951 to 1954. The matter was reviewed in 1998 by the then Minister for the armed forces who found no evidence that he believed would enable him to persuade the Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals to overturn their policy of non-retrospection, or to revoke any of the decisions made at the time or following various departmental reviews since 1990. No such evidence has since come to light.