Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of the current eligibility criteria for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for Regular Officers who were (a) discharged before 29 July 2014 and (b) served the same qualifying period as those who have received the medal under the revised rules; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending those criteria to ensure that all veteran officers are given equal recognition for their service, in the context of the Armed Forces Covenant.

This Government has the utmost admiration and appreciation for the loyal service of all our Armed Forces Veterans, however, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no current plan to recommend that the eligibility criteria for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal are amended to include Regular Officers who served in the Armed Forces before 29 July 2014. In any case, the MOD cannot unilaterally amend the eligibility criteria for the medal, and any recommendation in this respect would be subject to endorsement by the Committee on the Grant of Decorations, Honours and Medals, and approval by His Majesty The King.