Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 20, on the Iraq service medal, if he will list the civilian journalists who have received Iraq medals; and which were (a) applied for by the recipient and (b) handed over in a medal ceremony. [68694] Mr. Watson: In June 2004, media organisations with employees who deployed as War Correspondents with United Kingdom forces during Operation Telic were informed of their entitlement to the award of the campaign medal in accordance with DCI Gen 170/04. As a result, the Ministry of Defence received 74 requests for the medal with clasp, of which 61 had been distributed to the recipients as at 4 May 2006. The remaining 13 are held pending collection or confirmation of required postal address. There has not been any awards ceremony, all medals were either sent via registered post or collected by hand from MOD. The term war correspondent includes media support staff as well as journalists and broadcast reporters; thus camera/sound crew, producers, editors and other support staff who were part of the deployed team are included in the definition. These personnel are also entitled to the medal as detailed in the DCI and are included among the 74 requests made to the MOD. | 
