SPORTING HONOURS FOR 2004 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS

Early day motion 1597, tabled 7 September 2004 by Derek Wyatt (Labour). Signed by 37 members.

That this House notes that is is normal practice for senior civil servants and members of the Royal household to be awarded honours, frequently knighthoods, on reaching an approved or appointed position; is saddened at the lack of empathy within the Honours Committee towards sport, especially in the way in which honours have been awarded over the past three decades to sporting heroes; recalls that the 1988 Great Britain gold medal hockey team were not awarded collective honours although the 2003 England world champion rugby union squad was; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to press for all UK Olympic and Paralympic medallists from the Athens 2004 Games to receive appropriate honours, including knighthoods, in the next New Year's honours list.

Signatures by party: Labour 20, Liberal Democrat 10, Labour/Co-operative 4, UUP 2, DUP 1.