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Honours System (Reform)

: With your agreement, Mr. O'Hara, and with the understanding of hon. Members and the Chairman of the Select Committee, I shall make some brief comments and then write to everyone who attended, entering into specific points and responding to practicalities. I have two quick points to make before I finish. We were asked about diversity. A Cabinet Office leaflet encouraging take-up has been distributed to post offices and libraries across the United Kingdom. It makes the point about diversity and is about making the system more accessible. I do not believe that it is in our post office here in the House of Commons, and I am not sure whether it is in our Library; that is a gap, and we will make sure that that is put right as a consequence of today's debate, and that that publicity is there. Finally, I thank hon. Members for their attendance and their thoughtful contributions. I particularly thank the Select Committee and my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries and Galloway, to whom I referred earlier. Today's debate is part of a general evolution of the system of honours and of the political process, and our debate and the Select Committee report is part of that. Centuries of evolution, and recent decades of progressive change, can and should continue. We have heard the possible agenda for that future reform and evolution today. With that, I thank you for your perseverance this afternoon, Mr. O'Hara. Question put and agreed to.