First Minister congratulates recipients of Queen’s New Year Honours

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the many recipients of The Queen’s New Year Honours in Scotland, in the year of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The recipients include:

Professor Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer, who is awarded a Knighthood for services to public health. 

John-Paul Marks and Elizabeth Ditchburn who are among those who have been awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath.  

Those honoured with a CBE include Dr John Mitchell, Professor Anne Elizabeth Magurran, Norman Loch Murray, Dr Elizabeth Kelly Cameron and Grahame Smith.

Those honoured with an OBE include Dr Syed Ahmed, Professor Ailsa Hall, Rohini Sharma Joshi, Paul Robert Reddish and John Scott.

Laura Catherine Baxter, Hilda Campbell, Matthew John Clark, Michaela Collins, John David Vernon Dent, Kathleen Dawson, Owen Miller and Duncan William MacNaughton Scott are among those who will receive MBEs.

While those receiving BEMs include Anne Elizabeth Doherty, Joseph Freedman, Davina Mary MacInnes Gillies, Eileen Ross Haggarty, Mary Elizabeth Kenyon and Josephine Robson.  

Assistant Chief Constable Judith Heaton, Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock and Chief Inspector Marlene Baillie will receive The Queen’s Police Medal; and Patrick O’Meara, of the Scottish Ambulance Service, will receive The Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: 

“The Queen’s New Year Honours list illustrates the outstanding contributions of those across Scotland who have made a difference to their communities throughout the country and beyond.  

“From those who work in the arts and music, community and charity, to those who have excelled in the fields of science and medicine, these Honours highlight truly exceptional service to the people of Scotland. I am particularly delighted to see Scotland’s athletes who excelled at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo so well represented. 

“I’m also pleased to see those individuals who continue to do so much to help us in our fight against Covid receive the recognition they so richly deserve. We are all incredibly grateful for their selfless efforts and actions during a hugely challenging time, and it’s right that their outstanding contributions have been acknowledged in this way. 

“I also want to extend my congratulations to those personnel who have been awarded The Queen’s Fire, Police or Ambulance Service Medals. Our emergency services have displayed incredible fortitude throughout the pandemic, and deserve our continued appreciation for keeping people and communities across Scotland safe, every day of the year.”