§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the(a) terms of reference, (b) membership and (c) date for final report are of the committee chaired by Lord Guthrie to examine the case for a service medal for veterans of the Suez Canal Zone campaign from 1951 to 1954. [78573]
§ Dr. MoonieThe terms of reference are as I announced in a written response to a Parliamentary Question on 23 July 2002,Official Report, column 1106W, to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Bob Russell). The sub-committee of the HD Committee under the chairmanship of General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank will report on the case for an exceptional award of a GSM for the Suez Canal Zone without creating a wider precedent or breaching long-standing principles which underpin the making of such awards.
The sub-committee will consist of the chairman plus Field Marshal Sir John Chapple GCB CBE; Air Vice Marshal K D Filbey CBE FIMgt FRAes RAF; Charles de Chassiron CVO Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps and Head of Protocol Division, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; the military historian Sir Max Hastings and Gay Catto, Ceremonial Officer, Cabinet Office.
The sub-committee is necessarily independent of the Ministry of Defence and as such I have no visibility or authority over their proceedings. I am advised that the sub-committee has yet to take evidence after which it will fully consider the options. When it has reached a conclusion on the matter, it will report to the HD Committee which in turn will publish the results.
897WThe Ceremonial Branch of the Cabinet Office are acting as secretariat to the sub-committee.