Dr Julian Lewis: What effect does the hon. Gentleman [David Laws] think the proposed closure of the Army Medal Office at Droitwich will have? My hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff), in whose Constituency the Army Medal Office is located, has expressed the gravest concern that that can only add to the delays that he has so eloquently described.

[Mr Laws: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point. I am aware that the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire has raised his concerns about this. I do not pretend to be an expert in the reorganisation of the different medal offices within the armed forces. It would certainly be a risk if the consolidation of those offices led to a significant reduction of staff.]