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Honours System (Reform)

: Indeed they are not, and a well-honed honours system will take that on board when honours are awarded—as I said, such a system is inherently subjective, and awarding honours is an art, not a science. Sometimes, the two things that my hon. Friend mentioned coincide, but they will not necessarily do so. As I was going to say, a clever state might seek actively to use an honours system to cultivate the behaviours that it would like displayed, and it is perfectly proper for it to do so—that is a potent instrument. As I said, we do not know why people do things, and it is not improper for a state actively and imaginatively to deploy an honours system to reward the behaviours that the community wants.