THE secretive system of awarding knighthoods, CBEs, OBEs and MBEs was briefly reformed last year after The Sunday Times revealed that it had been compromised by spin and secrecy, but Tony Blair has since scrapped the political honours scrutiny committee.

Across Whitehall, eight honours committees award a set number of gongs for fields of activity including education, sport and the arts. Membership of the committees was previously secret and dominated by civil servants.

Each committee is now chaired by an independent expert, supported by other experts and a small number of senior civil servants. The arts and media committee is chaired by Lord Rothschild and consists of former editors, a poet and a senior BBC music executive. The permanent secretary at the culture department, permanent secretary at the Scottish executive and a Downing Street official also sit on it.

The education committee is chaired by Dame Alexandra Burslem, vice-chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University. Other members including Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former government inspector of schools, trade union representatives and other senior university and school figures.

Every year government departments appeal for nominations for gongs. Anyone can put forward a name for an honour and expert bodies, such as the Arts Council of England, are approached. Names are processed by honours units in Whitehall who put suitable candidates to the committees after background checks are made.

The committees draw up lists that are forwarded to the main honours committee, comprising the specialist committee chairmen, the cabinet secretary and other senior officials, for final approval.

The main honours committee sends the list to the prime minister, who retains the power of patronage. According to insiders, Blair typically adds only a “handful” of names, mostly celebrities and other high- profile figures.

He is believed to have added the names of the England rugby team to the list in 2003 to mark the World Cup victory. These additions are scrutinised by the Appointments Commission.

Last year Blair scrapped the political honours scrutiny committee which had the task of guaranteeing the probity of the system by investigating honours awarded to party donors. The committee was set up in 1922 after abuse of the system by David Lloyd George.

The scrapping of the committee was announced in the small print of a statement on improving “transparency” in the honours system. There is now no extra scrutiny of party donors.

The system of awarding peerages is different from other honours. The prime minister draws up the list of working peers and other political parties can add nominations. This list is seen by the Appointments Commission.

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