Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a medal for seriously injured and medically retired emergency service personnel.

We owe a tremendous gratitude to dedicated emergency service workers for their continued hard work and sacrifice to protect the public. There is no doubt that those who have their service cut short have made, and in many cases will continue to make, an invaluable contribution to the emergency services.

Medals are awarded by the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within the service. The creation of a new medal requires a cross Government consensus before advice is put to HM The King, the implementation of a fair set of criteria and processes, and the allocation of funding. Ultimately, these decisions sit with The Monarch but the Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across government to consider whether a medal of this kind would be feasible.