---

Honours System (Reform)

: Of course, my hon. Friend is right. That is what I meant when I talked about the difficulty of identifying such recipients. It will be problematic, and I agree that there are probably far more selfless heroes in the country than eminent footballers or rock stars of great established longevity who suddenly become eligible for such honours, or, indeed, permanent secretaries. We must consider this in relation to not only the individuals concerned, but what the system says about the nation. It is about what we honour as a nation; we are sending out a signal that we honour achievement and status more than service. We must find a way around that. Any system will inevitably be subjective—my hon. Friend is right about that—but so is the current system. Why is one footballer or permanent secretary honoured rather than another?