15.1 | Civilian
personnel
•
a new medal
to recognise civilian service in Iraq, which would create
pressure
for a
series of other medals, including for past campaigns;
and
•
use of the
Humanitarian Service Medal, approved in principle by the
Queen
in 1999,
which could provide appropriate means for rewarding civilian
service
in Iraq
and have longer‑term application.504
795.
Mr Benn
supported the idea of a separate civilian medal.505
He also
requested
either
greater flexibility in the allocation of honours to DFID, which, he
said, only
received a
small number, or an additional special list for Iraq.
796.
Mr Hoon
told Mr Blair that he had “no difficulty with marking the
contribution
made by
civilians abroad”, but could not support use of the military
campaign medal.506
He
recommended an urgent review by the Cabinet Office Honours and
Decorations
Committee
of ways to provide wider recognition of civilian service
“appropriate to the fast
moving
situations in which we are increasingly likely to find
ourselves”.
797.
Mr Blair
asked the FCO to seek approval from the Queen for a special
civilian
medal for
Iraq and endorsed Mr Hoon’s separate proposal for a wider
review.507
798.
Mr Blair
announced the Queen’s approval of the new medal in Parliament
on
30
June:
“We should
pay tribute … to the many British public servants, policemen
and
women and
volunteers, so ably led by David Richmond, the UK
Special
Representative,
who played a crucial role in helping the Iraqi people to rebuild
their
lives under
difficult and stressful conditions. Her Majesty the Queen has
graciously
agreed that
their extraordinary contribution should be recognised with the
award
of a special
civilian medal.” 508
799.
FCO officials
explained to Sir Michael Jay in July 2004 that eligibility
criteria,
periods of
qualifying service and details of the medal design were still to be
worked
out.509
Late
October 2004 was suggested as a possible date for a further
public
announcement,
because of the “not inconsiderable work required to produce
the
Civilian Iraq
Medal from scratch”.
800.
The first set
of eligibility criteria proposed by the FCO Iraq Directorate in
January
2005
excluded locally engaged staff and sub‑contractors not directly
employed by the
504
Minute
Turnbull to Prime Minister, 11 June 2004, ‘Recognition for Service
in Iraq’.
505
Letter Benn
to Alexander, 16 June 2004, [untitled].
506
Letter Hoon
to Blair, 17 June 2004, ‘Recognising Non‑military Service in
Iraq’.
507
Letter
Quarrey to Owen, 21 June 2004, ‘Recognition For Civilian Service in
Iraq’.
508
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 30 June
2004, column 285.
509
Minute
Protocol [junior official] to APS/PUS [FCO], 12 July 2004, ‘Iraq:
Special Honours List
and Special
Civilian Medal’.
510
Minute Iraq
Directorate [junior official] to PS [FCO], 18 January 2005, ‘Iraq
Civilian Medal’.
379