Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Questions 22933, 22934 and 22935, which individual or organisation sets the rules and regulations on the recognition of honours of Commonwealth Realms and foreign states; who is responsible for the preparation and issue of his Department's rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign orders, decorations and medals by citizens of the UK and her overseas territories; and if he plans to update his Department's rules to include awards granted by Commonwealth states where the Sovereign is Head of State.

The Committee on Honours, Decorations and Medals advises Her Majesty The Queen on all matters relating to honours and awards and sets the “rules” governing the acceptance and wearing of Foreign Orders, Decorations and Medals by Citizens of the United Kingdom and Her Overseas Territories. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office administers these rules. There are plans to propose updates to these rules, to the Committee on Honours, Decorations and Medals, so as to include reference to the conventions governing awards granted by Commonwealth realms. There are no plans, however, to change the conventions governing awards granted by Commonwealth realms.