Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimated cost is of introducing a National Defence medal; and what plans his Department has to reconsider the award of a National Defence medal.

An independent review undertaken by Sir John Holmes estimated the costs of producing a national defence medal to be £475million. This was based on an approximate figure of 7 million recipients who had completed four years of regular or Reserve Service, or completed national service (back to 9 September 1945), and 100% take up. There are no current plans to reconsider the award of the National Defence Medal.