The New Year Honours 1997 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries. They were announced on 31 December 1996, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1997 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Cook Islands, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by honour, with classes (Knight, Knight Grand Cross, etc.) and then divisions (Military, Civil, etc.) as appropriate. United Kingdom Life Peer Baroness Dame Audrey Caroline Emerton, , Chief Officer, Care in the Community, and Co-Chairman, Medical Board, St. John Ambulance; Chairman, Brighton Health Care NHS Trust. Baron Raj Kumar Bagri, , Chairman, London Metal Exchange, and Chairman, MetDist Ltd. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Composer. Privy Counsellor David Michael Davis, , Member of Parliament for Boothferry and Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Eric Forth, , Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire and Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment. John Michael Jack, , Member of Parliament for Fylde and Financial Secretary to Her Majesty's Treasury. The Honourable Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, , Trustee of The Prince's Trust and Chairman of The Prince's Youth Business Trust Advisory Council. Ann Noreen Widdecombe, , Member of Parliament for Maidstone and Minister of State, Home Office. Knight Bachelor Alan Ayckbourn, , Playwright. For services to The Theatre. Jack Mervyn Frank Baer. For services to the Art Trade. Nicholas Brian Baker, , Member of Parliament for Dorset North. For political service. Alec Victor Bedser, . For services to Cricket. Thomas Leon Blundell, . For services to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and to Scientific Research. Alan Peter Budd, Chief Economic Adviser to Her Majesty's Treasury and Head, Government Economic Service. Peter John Davis, Chairman, National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets. For services to Training and to Industry. Simon James Day. For political and public service. Geoffrey James Dear, , Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary. For services to the Police. Richard Charles Hastings Eyre, , Artistic Director, Royal National Theatre. For services to Drama. David Harrison, ,