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Will the HD Committee be made accountable to Parliament?
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Post Will the HD Committee be made accountable to Parliament? 
On the 21st May 2008 Mr Don Touhig, that indefatigable supporter of British (ex-)servicemen and women, will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the Commons calling on the Honours and Decorations Committee to be made accountable to Parliament.

The Bill will not be enacted into law, but it will present Mr Touhig with the opportunity to raise the PJM issue again in Parliament.

Surely, in this day and age, such a move is well overdue. It would put an end immediately to the sort of thing that has occurred with the PJM.

We need our British Honours system to regain some respect - to be made open - to be applied fairly and consistently.

Parliament and HMG require (ex-)servicemen and women to put their lives on the line - it is they, and not civil servants, who should have the ultimate say on whether a medal acknowledging that service should be wearable or not. Certainly, there is a place for a Committee to consider applications for medals, but when it is clear that their recommendation is out of step with the people and Parliament, then they must be willing to be flexible. That is a pre-requisite of our unwritten Constitution. When the rights of individuals are involved, nothing must be seen to be forever ... everything must be seen to be open to ongoing discussion and amendment as necessary. Even if it conflicts with the interests of civil servants!

It is time ... make a diary note ... Wednesday afternoon (12.30 onwards) ... 21st May 2008 ... the Commons at Westminster ... unmissable!


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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Post Re: Will the HD Committee be made accountable to Parliament? 
BarryF wrote:
On the 21st May 2008 Mr Don Touhig, that indefatigable supporter of British (ex-)servicemen and women, will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the Commons calling on the Honours and Decorations Committee to be made accountable to Parliament.

The Bill will not be enacted into law, but it will present Mr Touhig with the opportunity to raise the PJM issue again in Parliament.

Surely, in this day and age, such a move is well overdue. It would put an end immediately to the sort of thing that has occurred with the PJM.

We need our British Honours system to regain some respect - to be made open - to be applied fairly and consistently.

Parliament and HMG require (ex-)servicemen and women to put their lives on the line - it is they, and not civil servants, who should have the ultimate say on whether a medal acknowledging that service should be wearable or not. Certainly, there is a place for a Committee to consider applications for medals, but when it is clear that their recommendation is out of step with the people and Parliament, then they must be willing to be flexible. That is a pre-requisite of our unwritten Constitution. When the rights of individuals are involved, nothing must be seen to be forever ... everything must be seen to be open to ongoing discussion and amendment as necessary. Even if it conflicts with the interests of civil servants!

It is time ... make a diary note ... Wednesday afternoon (12.30 onwards) ... 21st May 2008 ... the Commons at Westminster ... unmissable!


...It is difficult, as Chairman, to respond to Barry's previous post without simply reiterating all that he has written....as I firmly believe in every word....what is at stake here is not (or should not) be the untrammelled right of an unelected committee to impose it's arbitrary will upon veterans and by extension all members of society...What is at stake is the very institution of Democratic government itself...in any democracy, accommodation must be found for necessary changes in policy to reflect the progression of societal ideals...It is no longer acceptable for the citizenry to be told "You will do this simply because we say you will do it....and no appeal is available to you if you disagree...this wisdom exists and will continue to exist, for all time"....and that is exactly what we have been told!....Neither is it acceptable for Civil Servants to use the power inherent in their position to act against the best interests of the public that they serve.......and that too is exactly what has transpired...

Parliament must exercise ultimate control in such instances....more power to Don Touhig in his determined efforts to achieve that end!


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...................'Jock'
Paroi...Rasah...Batu Signals Troop.
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