Honours committee to discuss stripping Sir Fred Goodwin of knighthood

The Honour Forfeiture Committee’s work is usually kept under wraps.

But David Cameron said today that he expects the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive’s honour will be discussed in the coming days.

A decision could be made within weeks.

Political pressure has been mounting for the title awarded to Sir Fred in 2004 for “services to banking” to be withdrawn over his role in the subsequent collapse of RBS.

Asked when a decision would be made, Mr Cameron said: “The Forfeiture Committee will be meeting, as I understand it, this week.

“And it will be considering all of the evidence including, as I have said before, the Financial Services Authority report into RBS and what went wrong and who was responsible.”

It is thought unlikely that the Forfeiture Committee will make any decision on Sir Fred’s case at this week’s meeting, but a recommendation is expected within weeks rather than months.

Reconsideration of honours is normally triggered by a referral from the authority which initially nominated the individual concerned, which in Sir Fred’s case was the Scottish Executive.

The committee does not call witnesses to give oral evidence, but has the discretion to look at whatever documentary evidence it chooses. There is no requirement to give Sir Fred an opportunity to defend himself.

If it recommends removal of the knighthood, its decision will be passed on to the Prime Minister to be communicated to the Queen. Mr Cameron does not have the option of rejecting the recommendation, and while the Queen could theoretically do so, in practice she invariably follows the committee’s advice.

A notice of withdrawal of the honour would then be published in the London Gazette.

The Cabinet Office declined to reveal when this week the committee will meet.