To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to introduce a regular forces service medal to recognise long service in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to introduce a regular forces service medal to recognise long service in the armed forces, though such matters are kept under review. This subject was reviewed in the 1990s as part of the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards, which concluded that

"The proposal that the existing Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) medals should be replaced by an award open to all ranks of all three services was rejected [by the military Chiefs of Staff] in favour of 'no change'."

Long service and good conduct is already recognised for non-commissioned members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Each of the three services of the armed forces has its own version of the LS&GC with differing regulations, though the standard of conduct is common to each service.