Jubilee medals for Services

Commemorative medals for the Armed Forces will be issued to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, said yesterday.

Those eligible to receive medals will be members of the Armed Forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary who have completed a minimum five years' service on Feb 6, 2002, the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Accession. Mr Straw, who is chairman of the ministerial committee for the jubilee, said: "Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee will be a special and joyous occasion. The Golden Jubilee medal will form an important part of celebrations in 2002. The medal follows a tradition set as far back as 1887, when the nation marked Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in a similar way."